The Millennium Series, Book Two: The Kingdom
by Soleil Mourning
Summary: Following a Great War, the Nine tribes divided themselves. That was only the beginning of the end. It began with a secret and a coverup. The fall of the Silver Millennium was foretold but no one heeded the warnings. History was destined to repeat itself.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

In the beginning, humankind existed hapless and groundless, faithless and lawless.

Each convinced of its own supremacy, the Nine tribes waged constant war on one another.

Then out of the dark, swirling depths of the Sea of Serenity, a divine Crystal emerged.

And It was a sacred gift from the Gods.

And the Crystal revealed Itself to the Chosen One.

And the Chosen One used the Crystal to create unity among the peoples of the Nine Heavenly Bodies and her home own world.

And there was peace until the Dark One waged war on the throne.

And though they were borne of the same body under the skies of Gemini, they divided the Kingdom between the faithful and the renegades.

The Chosen One wielded the vast power of the Crystal to banish the Dark One and her followers to the Other World.

And She created lasting peace among the Nine tribes uniting them under her rule.

_Scrolls of Scylla, Book of Antiquity 1:1-10._

It was decreed that the Nine tribes would be united under one Queen who reigned Supreme.

And she would rule from on high at the birthplace of civilization.

And all her progeny would be named for the Great Sea that delivered the Crystal of peace unto her people.

And only her direct descendents would have dominion over the Crystal.

_Scrolls of Scylla, Book of Legis 1:1-4._

Though the divine Crystal be not indestructible, Its power is limitless.

And only the pure of heart can harness the full extent of Its power.

And it will inhabit many incarnations throughout Its life –

Until the time comes when the Gods decide humanity is no longer worthy of Its divine Light.

And the Crystal will shatter.

_Scrolls of Scylla, Book of Imperiatus 1:1-5._

Each of the Nine tribes would be guarded by a Goddess who bore the Light of her home world.

And the Light would be passed from daughter to daughter.

And the Goddess could call upon the Light and become the Soldier.

And by the power of the Light she could protect her Kingdom.

And the Light would imbue each holder with a special gift:

One, of exceptional intellect and cunning;

One, of mercifulness and charity;

One, of ethereal compassion and grace;

One, of prescient eyes and soul;

One, of superior strength and valor;

One, of hypnotic beauty and charm;

One, of healing hands and patience;

One, of passion and self-sacrifice;

And One, of integrity and fortitude to bear the curse of life immortal.

_Scrolls of Scylla, Book of Legis 2:1-14._

All will live in peace and tranquility until the outcast returns to her ancestral home.

And when the curse of the Gemini revisits the Moon, the end of days is nigh.

And by and by each Goddess will falter:

One will rule in a foreign world;

One will die before her time;

One will betray her own;

One will be sacrified;

One will slay her own true love;

One will destr—

One wil—

On—

And only one will bear w—

_Scrolls of Scylla, Book of Millennium 1:1-12._


	2. Chapter 1: Frailty

**CHAPTER ONE:** Frailty

Deep in the heart of the Temple of Apollo, an aging Martian priest shuffled quietly through the catacombs. He moved deftly passed the tombs of many great leaders, long departed. At the back, just beyond the Tomb of Serenity, lay the Archives. He pulled three drawers loose and very carefully removed three sections of the original Scrolls of Scylla.

The Princess would be turning four years old soon and just about ready to begin instruction in the Scrolls. This education would continue for many years. Its importance grew with the birth of each generation because as the distance between humanity and the Beginning of Days grew, the less importance was assigned to the Scrolls and to theology generally. The Kingdom of Mars viewed this as sacrilege and took it upon itself to ensure that its people were well-versed in the Scrolls and that its Princess was the most knowledgeable.

He pursed his lips as he gently fingered the singed pages at the bottom of the Millennium Scroll. Several of the Millennium verses were destroyed when a careless monk in the Early Ages dropped candle wax and burned a hole in the parchment. Restorationists had deemed the Scroll unsalvageable, but a team of archaeologists was on the staff of the Palace of Mars. Their full-time job was to scour the Solar System for copies of the ancient text. So far they hadn't had any luck. Of course, there was a vast expanse of unsearched territory beyond the Armistice Line, but Silver Millennium politics, being what they were, made it impossible to search the outer planetary system.

The priest chose what he viewed as a holistic, but basic first lesson: a few verses from the Book of Antiquity to give the young Princess a sense of where her people came from, a few from Legis and Imperiatus to describe the basic tenets of Silver Millennium law, and the final verses from what was left of the Book of Millennium.

….

"Good morning, Your Majesty!" greeted a more-cheerful-than-usual Luna. She bustled into Serenity's bed chamber and threw back the heavy drapes letting the morning sun flood into the room. Serenity's eyes fluttered open.

"You're in a good mood," she mumbled.

"And how are you feeling this morning, Majesty?" said Luna. She pulled a silk robe from the armoire and held it up.

"I feel like a planet," Serenity answered.

"Ridiculous!" Luna exclaimed as she patiently waited for the Queen to hoist her eight-months-pregnant body from her plush four-poster. "You look positively radiant!"

"I'm fairly certain I pay you handsomely to say that."

Luna smiled as Serenity slid her fair, slender arms through the lavender silk sleeves. Though her twenty-five year reign had certainly aged her, it could only be seen in the gray of her hair which she wore, as so many Moon Queens before her, in two small buns at the sides of her head trailed by long, sleek ponytails.

"So what's new in the Empire this morning?" Serenity asked sliding her small feet into a pair of white slippers made of Earth-imported sheep's wool.

Luna sighed. "Well, the people of Venus are starting to riot in the streets over Aphrodinia's failure to produce an heir."

Serenity chuckled. "You'd think she'd have a gaggle of princesses what with all the 'practicing' those Venusians do."

Luna blushed. "Oh, Your Majesty!"

"I'm only joking, Luna, dear. What else?"

"Evidently the Princess Mars has started talking," Luna replied as she ran a comb through the Queen's long locks.

"She's three years old, it's about time!"

"I'm surprised anyone learns to speak on Mars," said Luna. "The last time I was there I thought some dignitary had died and the whole planet was in mourning."

"You know they like their traditions," said Serenity.

"Speaking of Martian traditions, there were even more leaflets dumped upon Parliament last night urging the Inner Alliance to reconcile with the outside planets. They really won't let this go."

Serenity sighed. "The Scrolls of Scylla speak of the Solar System as one Empire that includes all nine tribes united under one government. The people of Mars believe very deeply in the Scrolls so of course they want peace between the planets."

"It amazes me how in this day and age a people can be so bound up in what essentially amounts to superstition."

"Their beliefs are important to them, Luna," said Serenity patiently. "Who are we to judge?"

Luna snorted. "In any event, that's all that's newsworthy in the Empire this morning."

"How is Callie doing? I haven't heard an update on her in quite awhile."

"Oh, she's doing very well, Madam," said Luna, brightening. It always brought Serenity joy to hear that the Princess of Earth was well. Given their proximity, the Houses of the Moon and Earth were always very close and Serenity was overjoyed when the Queen Terrania had given birth to a healthy baby girl three years earlier. She'd had a very difficult pregnancy and spent the last four months confined to her bed. When the Princess Callista emerged bright eyed and with a full head of fiery red hair, celebrations on the Moon matched those of Earth.

"And the Prince?" Serenity asked.

"Well, Majesty, I haven't heard much about him which most likely means everything is fine. The birth of a son isn't exactly front page news, you know."

"Of course," Serenity replied. She moved to the window and surveyed the city below. It was early, but already the streets were abuzz with the usual goings-on of the Kingdom: merchants selling their wares, political activists attempting to lure passersby to whatever cause was hot at the moment, children laughing and playing ball in the streets.

"When is the King scheduled to return to the Moon?" Luna asked, suddenly pulling the Queen out of her reverie.

"Ah yes," Serenity answered. "Pallas should be back just before this little one graces us with her presence." She gestured to her growing bump.

"What exactly is he doing so far from home?"

Serenity shook her head. "He just loves those Jupiterian military exercises. He tries to get out there every year for the Armistice Day celebrations to watch." Serenity laughed softly. "If I didn't know better, I'd think he and Zeusania were involved!"

Luna laughed. "Imagine that! No, I think that if the King were to have an indiscretion, he'd probably choose a location that wasn't entirely peopled by men!"

"I don't know how Zeusania does it. It would drive me mad to rule an all-male planet."

"Yes, it definitely seems more like Aphrodinia's cup of tea," said Luna, her eyes sparkling.

"Now who's bad!" Serenity exclaimed. Suddenly there was a light tapping sound at the door. "Enter," Serenity proclaimed. In stepped the tall, imposing figure of her second Royal Advisor, Artemis.

"Good morning, Majesty," he said bowing low. He wore a grim expression on his face. Serenity noticed right away.

"Artemis? What's wrong?"

Artemis cleared his throat and looked away from Serenity's searching eyes. "Madam, I'm afraid…I'm afraid something's happened."

Serenity, burdened by the heavy weight of the life inside her, sank slowly to her bed as the color ran out of her face.

"Artemis," said Luna, her voice full of concern. "What is it?"

Artemis took a deep breath and forced himself to meet Serenity's eyes. "It's the King."

….

Hardly any fanfare occurred over his birth. After all, he was only the second-born, and a male at that, and thus heir to nothing. His presence in the royal household merely served to amuse the Queen, who loved children, but saw little of her darling daughter. At three years old, Her Royal Highness the Princess Callista, was already being groomed to rule and spent her days being bounced from tutor to tutor. There were hours of etiquette lessons, elocution lessons, and even lessons in diplomacy. The Princess was hardly even able to read yet but she could already explain with moderate sophistication why one would never set foot in a Martian temple without first washing one's feet.

But the Queen longed for the carefree laughter of a child who didn't bear the weight of a world on its shoulders. And so when the Prince was born, she reveled in her own private joy and dreamed of a future of his own choosing, free from the endless protocol and hours of training. He had been born only a few weeks earlier but already had thick tufts of black hair poking out in all directions. His steely gray eyes pierced her own with the somber complacence of one wise beyond his years. He was named for his father, as was common in their tradition, but despite being named for the hunter, the Queen refused to see the spear in his future.

"He'll go to the finest Mercurian universities," Terrania mused dreamily as she traced the soft features of his face with her long and delicate forefinger. "Perhaps he'll be a doctor of medicine. Or of theology." She tickled his tiny palm until he grasped onto her finger with his whole fist. She smiled down at him and murmured, "Endymion. My little Prince."


	3. Chapter 2: Trouble

**CHAPTER TWO:** Trouble

The imposing figure of the Queen Zeusania, the lone female on a gargantuan planet peopled entirely by men – and soldiers at that - stood at the tower window and looked out on the legions of new recruits standing in formation below her. As she watched them march back and forth, bayonets grasped firmly in their hands, she felt wracked with guilt.

_I shouldn't have let him test fly the new Cobra jet_, she thought, hanging her head. _He was too rusty. _She sighed. _But how do you say no to the King of the Moon?_

….

The Palace of Mars was silent as a tomb. Lucius, the high priest of the Temple of Apollo, slowly made his way to the altar where Queen Apollonia sat clad in the red and purple robes of Martian royalty. At her sides were Phobos and Deimos, her royal advisors. Each wore long black robes and crossed his arms menacingly.

On her knee sat the young princess, barely three, but already laden with the stately composure characteristic of her lineage. The young Princess Mars blinked her amethyst eyes in earnest as the priest approached. When he was within ten feet, he fell to his knees and pressed his forehead into the cool, marble floor and waited for the Queen to signal that it was appropriate for him to speak.

"Thank you for coming quickly," said Apollonia in a calm, even tone.

"Of course, Your Majesty," said Lucius, lifting his head. He slowly made his way to his feet again. His aging bones creaked with the effort.

"As you know, King Pallas has died unexpectedly. The funeral procession will take his body to each Heavenly Body of the Inner Alliance so that all may pay their respects. The final destination will be Mars, at which time he will be placed in the Royal Catacombs. The Temple must be ready to receive him by then."

"As you wish, Your Majesty."

"You are dismissed."

And with that, the priest bowed again and inched his way out of the chamber, never once turning his back to the Queen of Mars.

Deimos turned to the Queen. "Shall we prepare the guest bedroom for Queen Serenity, Majesty?"

Apollonia shook her head. "The Queen won't be coming. She is too far along with child."

"Such a shame," said Phobos, wringing his hands.

The Princess, apparently sensing the tension in the air, kept quiet but gazed fixedly at the anxious expressions worn by her mother and the two attendants around her.

….

"Madam, just breathe. Breathe steadily in and out, it'll be over soon!"

Serenity felt the panic rising up into her chest as her midwife and attendants fussed and rushed around her. _Something is wrong_, she thought. The feeling wouldn't go away. It had been with her since about the sixth month of her pregnancy and hadn't abated. At first she thought stress over the death of Pallas had manifested itself physically in her, but now she was no longer sure. Serenity gripped the sides of her bed and pushed with all her might.

The midwife held the newborn princess in her hands and marveled. "She's small, but strong," she said warmly. Serenity managed a smile, but could not shake the feeling that something was about to go very wrong.

"Clean up the Princess Serenity and prepare for the viewing!" shouted Luna, the Royal Advisor to the Queen. Attendants wrapped the tiny infant in a purple cloth and placed her into the bassinet that had been set up next to the bed beside the Queen.

"Madam," said Luna, her brow suddenly furrowed with concern. "Are you all right?"

Serenity's face contorted with pain. "Something is…happening," she muttered. "The pain…it's still very great."

"Midwife," said Luna, "is there some kind of herbal remedy you can provide to ease Her Majesty's pain?"

The midwife, who had been dabbing the royal infant with a wet towel looked up in surprise at the Queen who was still in obvious pain. She rushed over to the end of the bed and examined the Queen's body. Her eyes grew wide and her face drained of all color.

"What is it!" demanded the Queen. "What's happening to me?"

"It's…it's impossible," the midwife stammered. Luna let go of the Queen's hand and joined the midwife at the foot of the bed.

"How can this be?" asked Luna incredulously.

"Her heart rate is elevated," said a veiled attendant who held the Queen's wrist.

"Please remain calm, Your Majesty," said Luna as she searched for the words. Suddenly she was very aware of the presence of more than seven attendants in the room.

"Everyone but the midwife, leave immediately," Luna commanded. The attendants curtsied to the Queen and hastily exited the bedchamber.

"Luna, what is it?" asked the Queen, all authority gone from her voice and replaced with fear.

"It appears…It appears that - that Your Majesty is delivering yet another child."

The shock on the Queen's face was evident. "But -," she stammered. "That's impossible. The royal line-It's not possible!"

"Push, Your Majesty!" cried the midwife.

Moments later, the second daughter of Queen Serenity emerged from her royal womb defying millennia of royal births. The midwife held the tiny infant in her arms wrapped inside a bed sheet as no bassinet had been prepared.

"Luna, what…what does this mean?" asked a fearful Queen.

Luna sighed and ran a hand through her long graying hair. She was silent for a moment before finally replying: "Majesty, I am at a loss. No Moon Queen has ever issued anything more but one girl since…well, since you-know-when."

"Luna, please don't patronize me," said the Queen firmly. "You can say it. No Moon Queen has delivered a twin since Antiquity. I'm asking, what does this mean for me now?" Luna chewed her lower lip as she scrambled to think of something.

"Twins," murmured the midwife as she gazed fondly into the second daughter's blue-marble eyes.

Luna frowned. "Midwife," she said. "Midwife, what is your name?"

"Helia, my lady," the woman humbly replied, without raising her gaze from the child.

"Helia, how long have you been a servant in the House of Serenity?" asked Luna, sharply eyeing the servant before her.

"I have delivered many a royal infant, my lady. In fact, I delivered Her Majesty."

_Hmm_, thought Luna. _If she has been a loyal servant for that many years, perhaps she can be trusted._ "You will tell no one of this," she commanded. Helia bowed low to the floor.

"I understand, my lady."

"Luna," said the Queen, her eyes filling with tears. "What will I do?"

Luna saw the fear in the Queen's eyes and knew she had to think quickly. "Helia," she instructed. "Take the second infant through the passageway into your quarters and keep her there until you are given further instructions. Let no one see you. You do not need to be told how important it is that news of this twinned birth does not get out to the public."

"I understand, my lady." And with that, Helia knelt low to the Queen and, clutching the cooing infant to her breast, slid out of one of the many secret doors in the Queen's bedchamber.

"Now," said Luna, this time addressing the Queen, "let me summon Artemis. We'll conference and when we have devised a plan, I will return to you at once. With your permission, Majesty, I shall take my leave."

The Queen nodded curtly, Luna bowed low and bounded out the door. Alone, the Queen turned her head and looked upon the face of her child, her first-born, for the first time.

"Serena," she murmured, lovingly touching the baby's pale-white and soft forehead.

….

"Twins," Luna murmured mournfully.

"Something must be done about the second child," said Artemis firmly.

"Perhaps the people will take to the idea of a second heir to the Moon Kingdom," Luna replied hopefully.

"Luna," said Artemis, with that all-too-familiar voice that suggested Luna had said something ridiculous. "You know what happened the last time the 'curse of the Gemini' visited the House of the Moon. The public will not tolerate it. You know how superstitious they are these days. Especially the Martians."

"Don't quote scripture at me, Artemis, I studied at the same Temple of Mars that you did."

"I'm just saying that the people will not be able to handle this news. We cannot risk another uprising. These are dangerous times we are living in." Furrowing his brow, Artemis clasped his hands together and brought his index fingers to a point at his lips.

"That war is still fresh in the minds of many of our citizens, Luna. There are many sects that view the royal line as sacred and news of a twinned birth will lead to extraordinary unrest."

"There are rumors of Negaverse operatives residing within the Moon Kingdom, you know."

"That is exactly the kind of thing that fuels panic!" Artemis snapped, his voice suddenly shrill and angry. "Rumors of Negaverse spies living among us have existed since the war itself. Can you imagine the kind of chaos that would ensue if the people knew that the Queen had given birth to twins? They would suspect a corrupting influence!"

Luna didn't respond. It was true.

"I am as familiar with the royal line as you are, my dear," said Luna. "But what can be done about it?"

Artemis frowned. "Perhaps the child must be sacrificed."

Luna gasped. "How can you even suggest such a thing?" she hissed.

"I'm thinking of the prolonged peace of the empire, Luna," said Artemis.

"Let's please exhaust our other options before we resort to infanticide, Artemis." Luna grimaced.

Artemis thought for a moment. His gray eyes resembled steel when he was pensive. Luna had always found that very attractive. Finally, he broke his silence: "The child must be taken out of the Moon Kingdom."

"And taken where?" she demanded to know.

"Surely there's a childless family out in the depths of the galaxy that would be happy to take in the child," said Artemis pragmatically.

"We cannot trust just any family with this secret," said Luna.

"We'll tell them the child was abandoned."

"Interplanetary adoption is highly regulated. No reputable family will take in a child without the proper paperwork in order. And you know what happens to orphans without papers…" Luna trailed off.

Suddenly, Artemis's face alighted with an idea. He snapped his fingers and turned to face Luna and announced: "I know what will be done!"


	4. Chapter 3: Light

**CHAPTER THREE:** Light

Bent over her desk, Luna sang softly to herself as her hand danced lightly over the parchment. Her fountain pen left elongated lines and delicate loops all over the page as she happily drew up the birth announcement for the Princess Serenity. When she was finished she hurried out to the throne room, which spanned the entire fourth floor of the palace. The entire western wall was cut out and replaced by a stone and marble terrace that looked over a sprawling plaza where it seemed all of Serenity City had turned out for the occasion. Serenity was there waiting with Artemis at her side and the infant princess babbling away happily in her arms.

"Isn't she such a darling, Luna?" Serenity gushed. Though she felt anguished by the sudden death of the King and the loss of her second daughter, Serenity couldn't help but fall in love with the Princess.

"That she is, my Queen," Luna agreed. "Artemis?"

"A model of perfection," said Artemis gruffly. "Shall we?"

Serenity nodded and Luna collected the child. Serenity struggled as rose from her seat, wincing at the effort. She crossed the room slowly and made her way out to the terrace. As soon as she appeared, the crowd below her erupted in thunderous applause.

"My people," said Serenity softly, her voice amplified throughout the promenade. She leaned heavily on Artemis's outstretched arm, still aching from the labor that had ended weeks ago. Her heart felt heavy and weak, but she refused to let her voice betray her emotions. "I come before you today to present the next in line to rule the Moon Kingdom and the Silver Millennium!" Shouts and applause echoed off the stone walls of the palace. Luna handed the infant over to the Queen. "I give you Her Royal Highness the Princess Serenity the Sixteenth!"

The Queen smiled as the crowd roared approvingly. She cradled the child in the crook of her left arm and raised her right hand. She touched her forefinger and middle finger to the crescent moon adorning her forehead and held it there for a moment. When she pulled her hand away, with it came a brilliant iridescent light. The crowd was awed silent as they witnessed the historic Gift of Light ceremony. Serenity touched the bare forehead of her child and the light surged into her tiny body. When Serenity withdrew her hand again, the infant's pale white skin was now adorned with a small crescent moon, the symbol of the Moon Kingdom. The crowd thundered with shouts of praise and applause as they gazed upon the small form of their new Princess, their future Queen, and the supreme protector of the Universe.

….

Aphrodinia knew she should be elated by her sudden change in fortune, but worry nagged at the back of her heart. It was hours before sunrise as she paced back and forth across the throne room.

"Stop fretting, my dear," said Henry. The King's spectacles had drifted down the bridge of his nose and lay perched at the very tip as he scanned the latest headlines in the Daily Venusian. "Everything will be fine. The Gods have answered our prayers!"

"How can you stay so calm?" said the Queen. She clutched the pendant on her necklace and swung it nervously back and forth as she always did when she was anxious.

"Because, darling, it will all work out in the end. You'll see."

Aphrodinia wasn't so sure. She was as familiar with Scripture as any Queen in the Silver Millennium. A twinned birth from the House of the Moon was an extraordinarily bad omen, even if it did offer a solution to her current political predicament. Her failure to birth a daughter to succeed her on the throne had sent the people into turmoil and she feared they were on the brink of anarchy. A few weeks earlier, Aphrodinia had learned that her cousin, the Royal Duchess of Ishtar, was cultivating a small following. Her numbers were almost infinitesimally small, but as all Silver Millennium monarchs knew, all rebellions began that way.

Suddenly, the door to the throne room began to squeak open. Aphrodinia was terrified that one of her attendants would awaken at the noise. But no one in the castle stirred. A strikingly tall man with pale white skin and ice blue eyes pushed the door open further. He was carrying a plain wicker basket. Aphrodinia remembered him.

"Sir Artemis," she said, forcing a confident and regal tone. The King put aside his paper and stood next to the Queen. Setting aside the basket he carried, Artemis bowed low and then, in the style of the Venusian court, brought Aphrodinia's extended hand to his lips and kissed it tenderly.

"Your Majesty," he said humbly. Then he turned to the basket and pulled back the velvet blanket. Aphrodinia felt her heart leap in her chest as she gazed at the perfect infant laying before her. She knelt down and removed the girl from her basket and held her tightly to her breast.

"She is lovely," the King remarked.

"The perfect likeness of Her Royal Highness the Princess Serenity," Artemis agreed. Then he added, "But I expect the Venusian atmosphere will lighten her hair and eyes significantly enough to avoid any suspicion."

"And how is Her Majesty the Queen feeling these days?" Aphrodinia suddenly remembered her manners, but was soon lost again in the eyes of the cooing infant in her arms.

"She is in good health, Majesty. But of course, the situation has got her a little on edge."

"Well, naturally!" cried Henry. "Twins from the House of the Moon is enough to—"

"Henry, don't," Aphrodinia interrupted. "You're beginning to sound like Apollonia."

At this, Artemis interjected. "Begging your pardon, Your Majesties. But the Queen was quite adamant that the Royal House of Mars never hears of this—arrangement."

"Of course!" said the Queen looking up to meet Artemis's eyes. "We understand that this matter is to be guarded with the utmost care. Our people will be told only that a distant relation has given birth out of wedlock and that we have decided to raise the child as Princess to both save the relation from disgrace and preserve our Royal Line. It will still bother the more religious of our people who insist that only a direct descendent may be gifted the Light, but they will at least accept it."

"That sounds excellent, Majesty," said Artemis. "And now, if you permit me, I shall take my leave of you. On behalf of Her Majesty the Queen Serenity of the Moon, I thank you most humbly for your service to the Empire."

Aphrodinia nodded and Artemis bowed. He made a swift exit and left the two Monarchs in peace with the newest addition to their family.

"Minerva," said the King smiling at his new daughter.

"But always Mina to us," added the Queen. And with that, she gently reached up to touch her forehead. When she had extracted the hot, orange Light, she gently pressed it into the soft forehead of the child. In a pale shade of amber, the ancient symbol of Venus took shape on the baby's forehead, forever sealing her fate as the guardian and protector, Princess Venus.

….

Despite the warm glow of the light that poured in through his office window, Artemis felt nothing but a cold dread coupled with fatigue from his latest excursion to Venus. But there was still much work to be done before he would be rewarded with rest. Spread out before him on his desk was a large roll of parchment and he huddled over it scribbling away quickly, but in a long, elegant hand characteristic of all official decrees.

"I wish there were another way," he said quietly to himself, clutching a fountain pen as if it were laden with the weight of a saber.

When he was finished writing, he signed his name with a flourish, though he took no pride in the completed work. Finally, he ran his eyes up and down the page to make sure the document was flawless. Satisfied, he rolled up the document and sealed it with the crest of the Moon. Carrying under his arm, he left his office and nodded grimly at the Jupiterian officer who was waiting for him outside.

"Thank you for waiting, Lieutenant," said Artemis, noting the two white stripes decorating the shoulder of his brilliant green uniform.

"Sir!" the Lieutenant barked. At times like this, Artemis very much appreciated the no-nonsense sense of purpose built into the Jupiterian genetic code. He would get no questions from the lieutenant at his side who knew his place and would perform his duty flawlessly and unblinkingly. Artemis found solace in that. It was almost as if the silence of the soldier at his side was tantamount to assent – as if his complicity in the act indicated his support of it. But Artemis knew better. The Jupiterian soldier was trained to execute his duty unfailingly – and Artemis knew he would – but there was a person in that uniform, a person who was probably asking himself, _What threat could an old midwife possibly pose?_

Artemis began to move down the corridor with the Lieutenant keeping pace just behind him. They passed all the administrative offices before they got to a service elevator all the way at the southeastern corner of the palace. Artemis and the officer stepped inside and pressed the button labeled 'SQ.' The infrequently-serviced doors creaked to a close after them and slowly descended into the depths of the palace. When they reopened, artificial lighting fixtures illuminated a small, but clean hallway. Artemis and the Lieutenant moved past several apartments in the servants' quarters before reaching the one bearing Helia's name. Artemis nodded to the officer who immediately pounded on the door in three sharp jabs.

"Open the door for His Excellency!" the Lieutenant demanded.

Moments later, the heavy wooden doorframe opened slowly to reveal a small, aging woman who looked up in terror at the menacing officer before her. The Lieutenant pushed his way inside with Artemis immediately following. Stricken by terror, Helia didn't speak as the gravity of what was happening began to settle over her.

Artemis closed the door behind him and broke the seal of the document he carried that bore the title, Warrant for Immediate Execution. He began to read: "Whereas Helia, the Midwife, and citizen born of Earth, and resident of the Moon has been duly convicted of the high crime of treason against the Moon Kingdom and shall be executed in closed court—" His speech was cut short by Helia, who had regained the power of her voice.

"Please, sir!" the old woman begged. "I'll never tell anyone! I swear I'll never tell a soul!" Tears poured freely from her terrified hazel eyes as she pleaded for her life. "Sir, I beg you! I have a child! Her father is gone and she has no one but me!"

Artemis felt a pang in his heart, but he knew what had to be done. He nodded to the Jupiterian officer at his side. In one swift motion the officer drew his sidearm and plunged the blade deep into Helia's chest. Then he withdrew it with such deftness and precision that she was dead before her body even crumpled to the ground.

"Dispose of the body, Lieutenant," Artemis ordered. "Box up her things and send them to her surviving kin." Artemis rushed out of the small apartment; he did not want the officer to see his hands trembling.


	5. Chapter 4: Sentry

**CHAPTER FOUR:** Sentry

Deep in the heart of a thick woodland in the northern part of the Permian district of Earth, a tiny cottage lay in the middle of a small clearing. Two rose bushes sat on either side of the front door still abloom even though winter was rapidly approaching. Thin curls of black smoke slowly rose from the chimney. Inside, an ancient woman slowly turned the pages of a tattered picture book. Each new page revealed a sprawling canvas of colors and shapes and delighted the small child sitting in the old woman's lap. The two sat before the roaring fire, faces pink with the warmth of the blaze.

The child was not yet in her third year, but she delighted at the images on the page. Even though it was the only book in the house, her favorite evening activity was to turn the pages and examine each page anew. "And this," said the old woman, "is the rose garden outside the Palace. Queen Terrania loves roses more than anything. Maybe someday you'll take a trip to Hadean City and tour the Palace!" The child looked up and blinked her amber eyes innocently. The old woman kissed her lightly on the nose. "I bet you're getting tired of your Grandma Opal, aren't you?" She chuckled. "Your mama should be home soon," she said softly.

Just then, a powerful knock came at the door. Opal struggled to her feet and looked at the front door perplexedly. "Who could be calling at this hour?" she wondered aloud. She dropped the child in her wooden playpen and shuffled to the door. When she opened the door, she was astonished to find herself face to face with a towering officer dressed in Jupiterian military garb.

"What can I do for you, officer?" Opal asked, furrowing her brow. She quickly scanned him from head to toe and noticed two wooden trunks at his feet. They were carved with her family crest. She gasped and looked at the officer.

"Ma'am, I regret to inform you that Helia, midwife to Her Royal Highness the Queen Serenity, has been tried, convicted, and executed for the high crime of treason. Here are her effects."

Opal felt a sudden tightening in her chest. _Treason? Helia? It cannot be!_ A shooting pain raced up her left arm. The officer immediately reached out for her as she sank to her knees. He called to her, but she was out of breath. She couldn't speak. She couldn't breathe.

"Ma'am? Ma'am?" the officer called out. He pressed two fingers against the side of her neck. Feeling nothing, he bent down and scooped the old woman up into his arms and carried her into the house. He laid her gently on an old, ratty couch sitting in the middle of the living room. When he turned, he noticed the inquisitive-looking child in the pen. He sighed and walked toward her. She broke into a wide grin and began to bounce up and down at the thrill of being noticed. The officer sighed again and reached down to pick up the child.

"Tough break for you, huh, little one?" he asked gently. She grinned back at him. "You have no idea what's happened, do you?" She place her small hands on either side of his face.

"Gah!" she shouted.

"You don't say?" he replied. "You know, I grew up around here. Just a few klicks east of Permia."

"Gaaah!"

"No, it's true! I'm a true blue Earth-born! Not many people know that. I went to Academy on Jupiter when I turned seventeen. Want to see my plane?" She grabbed a fistful of his long, dark hair and tugged on his ponytail in response.

The officer brought the girl outside where his Raven Four was parked. He reached into the cockpit and withdrew his radio. "Base, this is Ghost calling from location. Come in, Base." He released the trigger of the radio and waited.

"Go ahead, Ghost. Report."

"Next of kin collapsed, need emergency services A.S.A.P."

"Roger that, Ghost. What else is going on down there?"

"We've got a minor child here. No next of kin."

"We'll radio Hadean House and let them know you're coming."

"Roger that. Ghost out." He replaced the radio on the console and turned to face his small companion. "Don't worry, kiddo. 'Ghost' is just my callsign." He gave her a wink. "My real name is Nephrite."

….

"Now, Princess, when you greet the Queen Serenity, you must look always at the floor and bow low from the knees, like this." Phobos looked ridiculous lecturing the three-year-old Princess and Deimos never missed an opportunity to tell him so.

"Phobos, you realize the Princess isn't going to meet the Queen for years, don't you?"

"Of course I realize that," said Phobos through gritted teeth.

"And she's never going to remember this lesson."

"Memorization happens by rote learning," Phobos snapped. "You have no idea how much is sinking in during these early years. Children are at their most receptive at this age. Besides, she was delayed in her speech and her walking. What if something is wrong with her? What if she doesn't have the gift?" He added the last part in a whisper.

"You know it's treasonous to posit such things about your monarch, brother dear."

"Shut up, Deimos. I'm just saying, the child might benefit from some extra help in her lessons."

"I'm not arguing with that, I'm merely saying that she's too young to understand protocol. Let's show her some pictures of the temples and teach her what Scroll each is devoted to. Come here, Raye, let's look at picture books!" Deimos called to the princess.

"Rayana, where are you going?" Phobos called after his young pupil, who was suddenly rapidly scuttling away. She stopped when she reached the small table across the room. She reached her chubby arm out and withdrew a tissue from the glass box that sat upon the table. When Phobos reached her he folded his lanky body in half in order to sit down on the floor next to her. He pressed his hand to her forehead. "Are you feeling sick?" he asked as she held the tissue in her small hand up for him to see. Her skin was cool and soft. Just then, without warning, Phobos issued a powerful sneeze. It came on so suddenly and forcefully that even unshakeable Deimos gasped.

Phobos looked down at the small princess who said nothing but waved the tissue back and forth. Phobos accepted it gratefully. "Thank you, Princess."

Deimos smirked. "What was that you were saying? Maybe she doesn't have the _what_?"

Phobos grimaced. "Shut up, Deimos."

….

"Hello, welcome to Hadean House," said a bored-looking middle-aged man sitting behind the reception desk, reading a magazine.

"I believe you are expecting me?" Nephrite said, gesturing to the small child in his arms.

"Oh!" said the receptionist, getting to his feet. "That's right!" He looked down at his desk and picked up a few papers. "Do you have any documentation for her?"

Nephrite fished around in the papers he discovered in a desk drawer at the cottage. "I've got a birth certificate somewhere I think. Ah, here it is!"

"Great," said the receptionist, reaching for the document. He gave it a quick glance. "All right, officer, well, we've got it from here." He reached out expectantly for the child.

Nephrite felt a pang of emotion as he handed the happy child over to the receptionist. It only now dawned on him that he was responsible for her current situation. He had executed her mother and when he relayed the news to her grandmother, it killed her instantly. And now she would be raised as a ward of the state here in Hadean House with all the other orphaned children. At that moment, he vowed to look in on her whenever he could.

When she was safely in the receptionist's arms, he turned to take her through a closed door just off to the right of the reception desk. Nephrite took this as his cue to go. He turned and headed for the front door.

"Gah!" warbled the child. Nephrite turned and saw her grinning a wide, toothy grin.

Nephrite smiled. "Farewell, Lady Beryl!"


	6. Chapter 5: Lessons

**CHAPTER FIVE:** Lessons

**Five Years Later**

Hermea City was a thriving metropolis. As the capital city of Mercury, it was the hub for the galaxy's intellectual elite. In a classroom not far from the Royal Palace, a teacher was giving an advanced history lesson to a room full of bright-eyed and brilliant eight year olds. On any other planet students so young could not hope to understand such a complex subject. But even among the unparalleled genius of the average Mercurian schoolchild, one in particular outshined the rest.

"Your turn, Highness," said the instructor, passing his eyes over the young Princess seated in the front row. His preferred method of instruction was Socratic, especially for the young monarch, as he felt it would prepare her for the duties of state she would be expected to execute upon the age of accession. Obediently, the small azure-haired girl with the inquisitive eyes immediately scrambled to her feet and waited to be addressed again. "Now, what were the causes of the Great War?"

Amalia, or Amy as she preferred to be called, drew a short inhalation of breath and began: "The Great War began at the height of the Industrial Revolution. Saturnian rebels tried to sow insurrection against Empire. They advocated the overthrow of the Moon Kingdom."

"And why did the Saturnians rebel?"

"They wanted outer planet self-sovereignty."

"And why?" the instructor prodded.

"They felt that their concerns were unique, that as perimeter planets they bore the primary responsibility for making sure outer-galactic forces stayed out of our galaxy. As such, they felt they should have more control over their own governments rather than have to consent to what they viewed as 'foreign rule' from the Moon."

"Were they able to generate support for their cause?"

"They had the support of the Royal governments of Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto who relied on Saturn for economic support."

"Then what happened?"

"Saturnian forces destroyed the Moon Embassy in the Saturnian capital city of Ardesia. After that, Queen Serenity the Fourth recalled all her ambassadors to the outer planets—"

At this, the instructor interrupted: "All of them?"

"Excuse me," Amy corrected herself. "She recalled her ambassadors to Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. Of the outer planets, only Jupiter remained loyal to the Moon."

"And why was that?"

"The majority of historians believe that Jupiter was unwilling to sever ties from the inner planets due to its heavy reliance on Martian cyrilium ore," said Amy. "As a gas giant, Jupiter couldn't mine the fuel for itself and needed it for the vast development it was experiencing. Saturn itself couldn't mine the ore, but had access to cyrilium fields around the outer edge of Pluto. But Jupiter didn't want to bear the cost that mining so far away would incur. There are other theories as well…" Amy trailed off, slightly embarrassed.

"Ah," said the instructor, smiling. "You are of course referring to Venusian lore?"

"Yes," said Amy. "Of course, this theory comes from an old love story, first told by the ancient Venusian poet Danilova. It isn't rooted in fact so we tend to give it no credibility."

"All right," the instructor continued. "Let's move on. What brought about the end of the war?"

"Well, it seemed that Jupiterian forces could have crushed the rebellion without too much loss of life, but Serenity the Fourth ordered clemency and arranged for an Armistice Treaty to be drawn up."

"Why didn't the Queen simply end the resistance if it would have been so easy?"

Amy shrugged her small shoulders. "History isn't clear. But there was a rumor that Saturn had developed or was in the process of developing a powerful weapon capable of destroying entire planets. There isn't much documentation on that subject and it's widely believed that Serenity just did not want more bloodshed so she decided to let them go in peace."

"And what were the terms of the Armistice Treaty?"

"It was basically a complete separation. The Moon Empire would end at Jupiter and five planets and the Moon would constitute the Inner Alliance. Saturn and the others would be the Outer Alliance. We would have no governmental ties with the rebels whatsoever. We would agree to let them rule themselves in peace and they would agree never to cross the Armistice Line."

"Very good, Highness," said the instructor. "You may sit down now."

Slightly dismayed that she hadn't been asked to elaborate on the Venusian love story said to be at the heart of the breakdown of Jupiterian-Saturnian relations, Amy took her seat. _Oh well_, she thought. _It's probably all fiction anyway._

….

"Are you ready for this, Highness?" Zoisite asked as he gently laid the brand new riding helmet on top of the bright red mess of hair on Callie's head.

"I can do it myself," Callie snapped, wriggling out from Zoisite's grasp. She had been on an independent streak lately and bothering all of her attendants with adamant refusals and petulant pouts these days. Zoisite shook his head and attributed to early onset preteen hormones.

"Just make sure it's secure," Zoisite reminded her. He disappeared into the stables and when he returned he was leading a gorgeous golden chestnut palomino horse behind him. It was the most stunning creature he had ever seen and a gift from her father, the King Endymion, on her most recent birthday. She was grateful for the gift – indeed, grateful for attention her father would spare her. But the girl had no love of riding and secretly feared the enormous beast.

Zoisite cupped his hands together and made a step for the small girl and she awkwardly climbed into the saddle. As the horse began to move, she pulled herself inward as tightly as possible and gripped the rein as though any slackening on her part would lead to certain death.

"Hold steady, Princess! Keep your back straight and your legs strong!" Zoisite remarked as his young trainee rode her horse in small circles out on the pasture. "Relax, Callista, you're doing fine," he added, in a slight patronizing tone that was not lost on the Princess, even though she was only eight years old.

"I'm not fine, Zoisite!" Callie barked. "I hate this!" She grimaced as the horse cantered along. "And I think it's starting to rain!"

Zoisite looked up into the sky and sure enough, he felt a light spattering tickle his face. The sky was just beginning to grow dark and ominous. "Just a few more rounds and we'll quit for the day," he said, crossing his arms in front of his chest. Callie tossed him a pleading look, but his honey-tinted eyes were unyielding. Callie continued to ride with her shoulders scrunched up so high her neck seemed to disappear. Then – out of nowhere – a bolt of lightning ripped through the sky and was immediately followed by a booming thunderclap. Startled, the horse reared quickly and then hurtled forward.

Zoisite gasped and ran toward the horse, but he wasn't quick enough to catch Callie who was sailing toward the hard, dirt-packed ground. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion as Zoisite watched the helmet fly off Callie's head and her small, unprotected body slammed into the ground. When Zoisite reached her, the rain was falling furiously.

"Callista? Callista?" he called as he leaned over her, afraid to touch her. He touched two fingers to her neck and sighed immediately in relief when he felt the weak throb pulse against his touch. He stood and looked around, but there was no one. "Callie?" he whispered. _Open your eyes, damn it!_ he silently urged. Gently, he slid his arms underneath her body and picked her up, cradling her like an infant. Then he ran for the palace as fast as his legs would carry him. _Please let her live_, he prayed silently.


	7. Chapter 6: Loss

**CHAPTER SIX:** Loss

A fretful Zoisite paced the hallway back and forth as his heart raced and a thin line of sweat slowly made its way from his hairline down the side of his face. It lingered for a moment on the angular precipice of his clenched jaw before leaping off and splattering to the floor. The door outside of which he waited slowly began to open. He snapped his head to attention and desperately searched the eyes of the Mercurian doctor that emerged. She looked back at Zoisite and shook her head slowly. He pushed his way past the doctor and into the grand room and looked down on the plush four-poster which now looked far too large for such a small girl. Zoisite pulled aside the pink lace curtain that hugged the bed like a protective barrier. Her hair still burned like a crimson sunset and her face still retained a remnant of ruddiness. She always did love the sun. She looked as if she were merely asleep. But the stillness. She was so still. Never in eight years did Zoisite ever see his Princess sit still.

He fell to the floor and clutched his chest; he felt as though his heart were being pierced by an invisible dagger. The tears fell freely from his eyes and made a small wet circle on the plush red carpet.

….

"Luna!" the small Princess shrieked. "Let's play!" Her bright eyes shined with the innocence of a child unaware of the great tragedy that had fallen over the Kingdom.

Luna shook her head and gestured for Serena to come over to her. Quickly, Serena scrambled to her feet and toddled past Artemis who was deep in thought over a pile of papers in his lap to where Luna. Serena traversed the playroom on a pair of legs that had not yet lost the signature chubbiness of toddlerhood. When she had reached Luna she outstretched her arms and waiting to be lifted up. Always happy to oblige the Princess's unceasing need for affection, Luna pulled the child into her lap and rocked her slowly.

"Luna, why are you so sad?" she asked, sounding genuinely concerned.

Luna gently tugged on one of Serena's ponytails and replied: "There has been a great loss, Princess."

Serena was visibly confused. "I lost one of my pink bunny slippers one time," she said. "Did you look in the kitchen? I find my things in there a lot."

Luna had to smile. "I don't mean that I lost a toy or a shoe, Princess. I mean that we lost the Earth Princess. She's gone."

Serena scrunched up her face in vain effort to understand. "But where did you leave her?"

At this, Artemis came out of his pensive state. "The Earth Princess has died, Serena. That means that she went away and is never going to come back."

"Artemis!" Luna hissed.

"What? She might as well learn about these things now."

Serena decided to chime in at this: "But where did she _go_?"

"Nowhere. Her body is still on Earth, but she will never inhabit that body again."

"I don't understand."

"Well, it's like this…" Artemis trailed off as he tried to conjure up a way to teach the mysteries of the afterlife to a five year old. Luna was still annoyed that Artemis had decided to be so blunt with the child, but an amused smile played at her lips. Artemis pointedly ignored her. "You see, Princess Callie is dead. When you die, your body stays. The Earthen tradition is to bury the body in the ground. But then your soul moves on to another life."

Serena was rapt. "What is a soul?"

Artemis immediately regretted looking up from his paperwork. "Well," he said, pushing a strand of long white hair out of his face, "it is the very essence of you. I mean, what makes you _you_ isn't your body. It isn't your hair or eyes or nose or mouth. It's your character. Your faith. Your devotion. Your love. All these intangible things make up your soul and that is what lives forever. So even though Callie's body is dead, her soul lives on in a place we can't see."

Serena didn't respond. She climbed off Luna's lap and toddled over to the window seat and stared out at the Earth.

Artemis interpreted Serena's silence as confusion and took the opportunity to change the subject. "This is going to cause big problems, Luna."

Luna sighed. "I know, dear."

"Never in our history has a monarch died before passing the Light onto her daughter."

Luna didn't know what to say. Losing the Princess was a terrible tragedy in itself, but losing the Light of Earth compromised the safety of the entire Inner Alliance.

"We should call an emergency meeting of the Royal Council. Mars will be in a state of hysteria, as usual. I just wonder what Terrania is going to do about the royal line. I heard she has a cousin somewhere out in the Aphelian district…"

Luna looked up and replied sharply: "Let's let the Kingdom mourn the loss of Callista before we attend to politics, shall we?" Artemis softened and nodded ever so slightly. They locked eyes for a moment before Artemis returned to his papers and Luna drew her gaze to the Princess who was still gazing intently at the blue and green orb hovering above the horizon.

….

"I fear I do not have the strength to address them," the Queen Terrania murmured as tears gathered at the corners of her eyes.

Endymion placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "You can, my dear," he whispered. She let him pull her close. Then she took a deep breath and stepped out onto the terrace. The assembled crowd stretched on as far as she could see. The din fell to an immediate hush when the Queen appeared.

"I know that you have been waiting for an official announcement regarding the health of the Princess and I speak for the entire Royal family when I express my sincere gratitude for your concerns." Terrania paused. The words felt hollow even as she spoke them. She closed her eyes for a moment before continuing: "I am truly heartbroken to have to tell you that Her Royal Highness the Princess Callista of the Temperate Kingdom of Earth has passed away early this morning."

A collective gasp rose up from the crowd and soon everyone was talking and shouting over one another. The Queen raised her stately hand and once again, the crowd quieted.

"I know you all must have many questions after this tragic and unprecedented event. But I must ask that you have trust and faith in me as I have always done my best to deserve your devotion." The Queen hesitated and looked back at the King. He nodded, urging her to proceed. "My daughter is dead! And with her the Light of Earth extinguished!" she declared bravely. "But she lives in all of you! Her memory will not die as long as we all remember her." Summoning all her strength, the Queen delivered the last of her address: "I know you all must wonder what will become of the Royal Lineage. I have decided to keep the line intact and instate my son, the Prince Endymion, as the successor to my throne!"

There was brief silence. Then an uproar. Immediately, the crowd began to lob projectiles at the castle. Terrania stepped back surprised. A chant arose from the crowd below.

"What's that they're saying?" Terrania wondered aloud as she attempted to lean toward the ledge without being seen by the people.

Endymion cocked his head to the side and tried to listen. "I think…I think it's…'light'…'daughter to daughter'…They're quoting the Book of Legis." Endymion pursed his lips. "The traditionalist factions grow more vocal every day. You'd think we were on Mars," he muttered.

….

A dark cloud hung over the Moon Palace as Serenity sat in silence at her throne. Her usual silver gossamer gown was replaced with a black mourning robe that fell off her slender frame like a shroud. Her eyes were closed and her forehead rested in her hand. She was unable to purge the dark thoughts swirling in her mind. She would not be disturbed today.

….

"You must send him away, Majesty," said Kunzite. "The Prince is not safe here. We have already had numerous threats on his life."

The Queen's eyes brimmed with tears. She looked into Kunzite's eyes and knew her advisor spoke the truth, but she had lost her daughter. She did not know if she could bear losing her son as well. Kunzite's face betrayed no emotion as he waited for Terrania to make her decision.

"Where will you take him?" she asked, a single tear rolling down the side of her face.

"It's better if Your Majesties do not know," said Kunzite. "I know a place where he will be safe. And we will watch over him."

Terrania bent over and looked her son directly in his crisp gray eyes. At five, he was only aware of a great commotion going on, but the details were beyond his grasp. She kissed his smooth forehead. "Goodbye, my darling," she whispered. "Until we meet again!"


	8. Chapter 7: Whisper

**CHAPTER SEVEN:** Whisper

**Three Years Later…**

"Come on, Bee, give it a try!" a small boy cajoled his friend. The two had spent that sunny summer day roaming the wooded outskirts of Hadean City. They sought, as ever, the perfect location upon which to build their secret clubhouse where they could escape to whenever the pressures of being a child growing up in a group home got to be too much to bear.

"No way, Darien!" said his hazel-eyed, strawberry-haired companion. "It's too high!" She gripped the rope so tightly her knuckles were turning white. The boy had already used the rope to swing across the gorge and he waited impatiently for her tapping his foot and his hands on his hips. At eight years old, he didn't have the patience for such delays. The gap was only five feet in length and they had seen older kids make the jump hundreds of times before. But her fear had her paralyzed.

"It's easy, Bee, come on. You saw me do it."

"I can't!" her voice rose to a panic so Darien tried switching tactics.

"Bee, I promise I'll catch you. I won't let you fall!"

She scrunched up her face and looked at him doubtfully. "Cross my heart," he said, grinning. She took a deep breath and jumped, swinging easily across the gorge. True to his word, Darien waited with his arms outstretched and caught her small frame as it came sailing through the air. The impact caused them both to fall to the ground laughing.

"Let me up, Bee!" he said giggling as he struggled beneath her. She was two years his senior and had the height to prove it, if not quite the muscle mass.

"Say pretty please," she replied. Ignoring this request, Darien pushed her aside and scrambled to his feet.

"I told you you could do it," he said smiling. "Come on, let's go." He stuck his hand out and clasped it around her own. "Now, let's scout out the vicinity for a suitable location."

"Why do you always do that?"

"Do what?" said Darien, dragging her along.

"Talk like you're a soldier? 'Let's scout out the vicinity.' You sound like that officer that's always doing those inspections of the house."

"I'm gonna be one of those officers someday, Beryl." Darien stopped and faced her. He only used her full name when he was being serious. "You watch. I'm gonna go to Academy and spend my life flying fighter jets."

"Oh really," said Beryl, not even trying to conceal the condescension in her voice. "When was the last time a ward of the state got into Amalthea Academy?"

"I don't care," said Darien, resuming his walk. "I'll be the first then."

"Dream big," Beryl remarked.

"What about you? What do you dream of?"

Beryl felt her face redden when she thought of her visions of the future. "Oh, I don't know. Nothing special," she replied.

Darien cocked his head to the side. "Liar. Tell me!"

Beryl shrugged. "I mean, I don't know. I just want a simple, normal life, you know? Get a little house somewhere, get married…"

Darien looked disgusted. "Girls," he muttered. "Always talking about getting _married_. I'm never going to get married!"

"You will someday, Darien, you won't be able to avoid it."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Darien asked, getting defensive.

Beryl laughed. "You're so dreamy, I bet the Princess Venus is going to pick you up someday to be one of her…_consorts_."

Darien was horrified. "She comes anywhere near me and I'll cut my own throat out!"

"Don't be so dramatic. You should be so lucky to have Princess Venus choose you. It could be worse…" she trailed off.

Darien shuddered. "You're right. Princess Mars could choose me."

"I heard she's very beautiful," said Beryl wistfully, twisting a strand of her long hair around her index finger.

"Beautiful or not, it's not worth it, being King of Mars."

"Tough job or not, at least it would only be a temporary title," said Beryl, referring to the ancient Martian practice of regicide. It was considered one of the highest honors in the galaxy to be selected to marry the Princess of Mars. Of course, the honor bestowed to the chosen one was attended by the obligation to surrender his life upon the birth of the next Light bearer.

"She couldn't take me," said Darien, indignantly. "I'm from Earth. She has no authority here."

It was Beryl's turn to be disgusted. "You'll never get into Academy if you don't pay more attention in your civics class. If Rayana wanted you, all she'd have to do is point and a cadre of Jupiterians would toss you in the back of a transporter and whisk you off to Mars."

"But I'm an Earth citizen! I have rights!"

"Yes, technically she'd need the Queen's authorization, but there's no way Terrania would say no. She would never do anything to agitate a Princess, especially with Earth's position in the Alliance being what it is."

"Queen Terrania would just let that Martian royal tear off with one of her own citizens?" Darien was incredulous. His impression of the Queen had always been that she was a just and gentle ruler.

"Three years ago, no way. But that was before. This is now." Darien scrunched up his face in confusion. Beryl sighed. "When the Princess Callista – may she rest in peace – passed away, Earth ceased to be a Light-bearing planet. We're now wholly dependent on the other Alliance planets for protection. Because of that compromised position, Terrania doesn't have as much power as she once did. And now that there's no heir to the throne, no one really knows what will become of Earth."

"It's been three years since Callista died though. Shouldn't this all be figured out?"

"Interplanetary politics take forever to work themselves out. But anyway, my point is, Terrania needs to suck up to the other planets. If Rayana wanted you, Terrania would let you go. You're an orphan, a nobody."

Darien made a face. "I wish I could remember what my life was before I got to Hadean House."

Beryl rested her hand on his shoulder. "Sometimes traumatic amnesia can be reversible, did you know that?"

Darien nodded. "I know. I just hate this weird nagging feeling I have in my head all the time. Like they didn't tell me the whole story or something."

"You mean about the cave-in?"

"Yeah," said Darien. "I mean, I know my parents died in a mining accident and that I have no other family, but a part of me feels like…that's wrong somehow. Like my family is still out there. Sometimes I think you're lucky never having known your family. It's better than forgetting them." Darien caught himself a moment too late and when he looked up to meet Beryl's gaze, she looked away. "Hey, I'm sorry, Bee," he said. "I didn't mean it. I don't know what I'm talking about!"

Beryl forced a smile. "It's okay. I don't remember them, but in a few years I'll be of legal age to get access to their files. At least I'll have some things to remember them by, if not actual memories."

"That's the spirit," said Darien, brightening. "Now let's get going. I want to check out that clearing over there. Race you!" And he broke out into a run leaving Beryl there collecting her thoughts.

"Darien!" she yelled after him, annoyed. She shook her head and prepared to take off after him when she noticed a lace from her worn, brown sneakers had come loose. She knelt down to tie it. As she pulled the strings, a mild wind blew through the trees and briefly chilled her bare arms. It was then that she heard it: _Beeeeeeryl_. It was a soft and breathy voice calling her name. She looked up and saw no one. She finished tying her shoes and stood up. _Beeeeeeryl_! it called again, slightly more urgently. She turned her head in the direction she thought it was coming from but saw nothing but a bush.

"Darien, is that you?" she called.

_Beryl._

"Darien, stop it, I mean it!" she said, hysteria beginning to rise in her voice. She looked all around her and saw no one.

_Beryl, come to me._

She began to run. Her feet thudded against the ground as she kicked up a cloud of dust in her wake. She kept her eyes on her feet. She was too afraid to look up for fear she would see something – or someone – out in the woods. She ran and ran until finally she saw Darien standing in a meadow.

"What took you so long?" he demanded.

"I—I—" she stammered. She debated whether or not to tell her friend what she had heard and had not seen. "I—had to tie my shoes," she said at last, deciding he would think she was crazy and that the voices were in her head.

"Well, what do you think of this place?"

Beryl was too shaken to give the matter much considered thought. "I don't like these woods," she declared. "They're too creepy."

Darien rolled his eyes. "Girls," he muttered.


	9. Chapter 8: Ritual

**CHAPTER EIGHT:** Ritual

Slinking slowly from the palace steps toward the gates, Aphrodinia hypnotized all who looked upon her; gardeners paused from shearing the topiary and laundresses looked up from their washing to follow the Venusian Queen with entranced eyes as she made her way to the square, flanked by devastatingly handsome guards and attendants. On most days, she preferred to go into the city carried in a litter lofted onto the shoulders of several of her more strapping men. But the searing sun was more forgiving on this day, signaling the beginning of the short, but highly anticipated winter season.

Alone in the southwestern tower window, an eight-year-old Princess watched in awe at the effect her mother had on all who saw her. She desperately wished she had the power to cause men to avert their gaze and women to blush by simply granting a look. Mina stood in front of her full-length mirror and pinched her small nose in a desperate attempt to center it. When she examined her reflection, she couldn't help but be satisfied with what she saw, until she got to her nose. Her charm lessons had begun earlier that year and Mina had been working tirelessly to correct what her tutor had pronounced a natural clumsiness. She was still living down the humiliation of falling down the palace steps a few months ago and breaking her nose. She remembered feeling no pain, just the shock and shame of ruining her beautiful yellow chiffon dress with streaks of impossible-to-clean blood. _Almost good as new_, the Mercurian physician had noted, frowning at her. Her once-perfect button of a nose was now forever marred by a slight rightward turn. Her mother swore it was barely noticeable. _It's unique_, she had said. _It gives you character. It makes you different._ Mina could have sworn that Aphrodinia sounded almost glad of it.

….

"She's doing fantastically," remarked Balthazar, the Commander of the First Royal Army, to Queen Zeusania. "She spends hours in the simulator and I swear I'd put her in the cockpit – if only her feet would reach the pedals."

Zeusania chuckled and smiled at the little princess, just turned five, but already a natural in combat. "Soon enough she'll be towering over all of us."

"True enough, Majesty," said Balthazar shaking his head.

"Leave us for a moment please, Balthazar."

He brought his upper arm to a crisp forty-five degree angle and saluted his Queen before turning sharply and exiting the training room. "Lita, dear," she said. The small princess looked up from her seat in the old model Cobra flight simulator and blinked her emerald eyes expectantly. "Come walk with me," her mother commanded in a gentle, but firm tone. Lita swung her legs over the side and hopped out of the simulator. She came bounding toward her mother full of energy.

"Did you see me, Mother? Did you see the way I flew?"

"I saw. You did very well, darling. Although I did notice you were killed in the last round against the Titan First Battalion."

Lita scrunched up her face. "I hate those guys," she pouted, kicking her small foot into the alabaster floor. "They're the worst ones. I can never beat them."

"The simulator is modeled after real life war scenarios. We suffered the most casualties in our battles with the TFB during the Great War."

"If I had been there, I would've killed them all by myself!"

"Don't boast," the Queen admonished. "Now I want you to listen to me, darling." She knelt down and turned the young Princess toward her. "As the Princess of Jupiter, you've inherited an immense responsibility to your Kingdom." Lita cocked her head to the side and though she understood the gravity of her mother's words, the struggled to understand their meaning. "Someday you will be called on to make extraordinarily difficult decisions that few others are called upon to make. You must be ready to accept that responsibility when it presents itself and do the right thing."

Lita scrunched up her face. "But what is the right thing, Mother?"

Zeusania smiled and said: "It is to protect the Kingdom at all costs. Even if it means taking a life. Even if it means sacrificing your own."

The child scoffed. "I can do that."

"It's easy to say, darling. It's much harder to do. Someday you will meet the Princess Serenity in person and when you do, you must pledge your life for hers."

Lita's eyes grew solemn. "I swear it."

….

Masses of people were gathering in the Temple, but the only sound to be heard was the raspy shuffling of thousands of pairs of wicker-sandaled feet scraping across the earthen floor and the crackle of the sacred flame, which burned brightly at the back of the stage. The Recitation and Devotion Ceremony was a historic event among the Martian population and dignitaries traveled from as far as the plains of Arelan to witness it.

A solemn eleven-year-old Princess waited in the wings of the stage and nervously touched her forefinger and middle finger to neck and waited for the smooth waves of calm to wash over her as the familiar throbbing pulse let her know she was still there. She exhaled and ran her fingers through her long ebony hair. When Lucius silently signaled that it was time to begin, she dropped her gaze to the floor and moved out onto the stage where a large book lay on a lectern, already turned to the page where she would begin reading. When she took her place, she stole a glance at the crowd gathered before her. All she could see were tops of heads, covered with brilliant red silk as her subjects bowed so low they could rest their foreheads on the floor. They would not move from this position until she finished her reading.

Raye cleared her throat and began: "In the beginning, humankind existed hapless and groundless, faithless and lawless…" She continued to read from the Book of Antiquity without pause for nearly two hours. When she finished, she closed the heavy book and closed her eyes as a cloud of dust erupted into the air around her. Next came the part she dreaded. Two monks emerged from the wings, one with a plush, purple satin pillow and the other holding nothing, but with hands hidden inside black carbon gloves within the billowing sleeves of his robes. The first monk set the pillow down onto the stage and the Princess moved silently around the lectern and knelt down onto the pillow. Her heart raced in her chest and she said a silent prayer. _Goddesses Algea, let the pain be brief!_

She bowed low and gently tossed her hair over her head exposing the naked white flesh of her neck. She could hear the clang of metal on metal as the monk removed the ritual rod from the sacred flame. She could hear him slowly shifting closer to her, but her hair formed a thick curtain around her head preventing her from seeing him and the weapon he brandished. Her breath stopped as she felt the rod warm her neck. She squeezed her eyes tight shut and was grateful no one could see the tears welling as the rod touched her skin. She willed herself not to cry out as the rod scorched her flesh. The monk worked quickly and soon she felt the relief of the cold compress the other monk had pressed to her skin.

Raye slowly lifted her head and struggled to her feet. She looked out over the heads of her subjects, grateful they could not see her tear-tracked cheeks.

"With this offering," she said bravely, "I pledge my life first to the Scrolls of Scylla, second to the Holy Kingdom of Mars, and third to the Heavenly Bodies united under the Supreme Ruler, Her Majesty the Queen Serenity!"

"So be it!" came the muffled monotone response from the subjects still laid low.

Raye turned slowly and left the stage, a monk holding the cold compress to her now-throbbing neck keeping close behind her. As soon as she was out of the main viewing area of the Temple, she reached back and held the compress in place allowing the monk to let go. She hurried down to the basement level of the Temple and navigated the dark and twisting corridors until she had made her way back to the palace without ever having to set foot above ground. She stole quietly into the palace without being seen. As soon as she was safe in the south wing, which was entirely reserved for her and her servants, she burst into her bed chamber and quickly scanned the room for the package she hoped was there. Sure enough, atop the trunk at the foot of her bed sat a medium-sized box, unmarked. She tore into it and felt a stab of guilt as she removed its contents: two mirrors, one free-standing and about the size of a large book and the other a handheld. She set up the larger mirror on her reading desk and turned her chair so that the back was to the desk. She sat in it and lifted her hair off her neck. She used the handheld mirror to inspect the work done by the monk. There it was, a blazing red wound, the symbol of Mars forever burned into her flesh. She winced as she dabbed the compress – which was quickly losing its coldness – on the mark. After she was satisfied that the symbol was centered and artfully drawn, she put the mirrors back in the box and sealed it. She crossed the room and pulled on a cord that snaked down the wall and hung slack next to her bed. Moments later, a servant appeared in her room.

"My lady?" the young servant questioned, not daring to meet the Princess's eyes.

"Take this box out of here," Raye ordered. "Bring it immediately down to the incinerator. And do not open it."

The servant bowed slightly and quickly gathered the box in her arms and disappeared. Raye breathed a short sigh of relief. Even the Princess of Mars was not immune to the punishment visited upon those found guilty of the sin of vanity.


	10. Chapter 9: Change

**CHAPTER NINE:** Change

**Seven Years Later**

The sun beat down furiously. Beryl lifted the front of her apron to her forehead and dabbed at the sweat forming around her hairline. The work wasn't particularly arduous, but the complete absence of a breeze made lifting even the bed sheets require a Herculean effort. Still, Mechanis would be home soon and she didn't dare fall behind in the laundry. Beryl tossed a clean white sheet over the clothesline and pulled at the sides to make sure it hung evenly. She knelt down to pick up the basket of laundry and as she hastily picked up folds of cloth that had hung out over the rim dangerously close to the ground, a single red rose fell to ground beside her. She looked up and saw no one, but the tall, angular gray shadow of the young man on the other side of the sheet. She collected the rose and brought it to her lips. She loved the soft velvety feel of the petals on her skin. Suddenly, he was next to her and cupping her face in his hands. She had always thought him handsome, but a sudden growth spurt occurring the previous fall had left him breathtaking. His ebony hair sharply contrasted with his light eyes which were now locked with hers. She had to remind herself that she was two years older than he was, that he was still technically only a child. But when he kissed her, she found it utterly impossible to care.

"Let me help you with this stuff," Darien said amiably as he hoisted the basket up to his shoulders before Beryl could protest.

"Darien, don't, he'll be home soon," Beryl urged. She didn't want to think what would happen if she was caught socializing with a boy.

"I'm not afraid of him," Darien scoffed. "He looks at you wrong, I'll run him through with my long sword!"

"You're always threatening to stab people, Darien, ever since we were kids. Would you stop it already?"

"You'd rather I not defend your honor, my lady?" he said innocently with false bravado. Suddenly, his expression changed and he looked serious. He grabbed Beryl around the waist and pulled her body close to his. "I'm going to get you out of here, you know that right?" he said staring deep into her eyes and tousling her amber hair. He had this way of looking at her that made her forget the misery her life had been ever since Mechanis adopted her. Darien was forever promising to whisk her away and take her deep into the woods where no one could find them and they would live happily ever after together. She suspected he said such things out of guilt. Not that her current predicament was any fault of his, but he felt it wrong that he should be adopted by a kindly couple who cherished him as if he were born of their bodies while Beryl was taken in by a cruel tyrant.

….

"It is offensive to our very way of life!" shouted Tharsis, the delegate from Mars. "The Scrolls of Scylla clearly state that only the heavenly _princess_ can rule the heavenly bodies! Earth is destroying the very fabric of our sacred matriarchy!"

Serenity listened patiently as representatives from the Planets took turns addressing what was being termed "the Earthling prince problem."

"While I hesitate to echo the religious concerns of my colleague from Mars," said Calorin, the statesman from Mercury, "I do wonder about the _practicality_ of the situation. On Coronation Day on Earth, as it is done among most of the planetary bodies of the Inner Alliance, the Light is passed from mother to _daughter_. The Princess received the Light minutes after her birth – the Prince is a mere mortal."

"We acknowledge that he does not possess the power to become the Sailor Soldier," said Jaedite, ambassador from Earth. "But the Prince is all we have. If he cannot be seated, Earth will be thrown into anarchy."

"I'm confused," said Avana, who represented Venus. "I was under the impression that the very idea of Prince Endymion taking the throne sent the country into such turmoil that the child had to go into hiding. And if the people of Earth reject him as Prince, who are we to instate him?"

Jaedite sighed. "It is true that the people needed some time to adjust. But in the years since his absence, public opinion has been swayed our way. And the people of Earth feel that with the Gifting Ceremony coming up, there is no better time than the present to begin the proceedings to seat the Prince."

"Does the sudden change in public opinion have anything to do with the rumors abounding about Negaverse cells infiltrating Earth's civil government?" asked Calorin pointedly.

At this, Jaedite's ears turned noticeably red. "There is no merit to those rumors, Calorin."

"What difference does it make?" interrupted Adrastes, representative of Jupiter. "I mean, honestly. Let's be frank here. The Princess is dead and there is nothing to be done about that. The Light of Earth is gone and there is no bringing it back. What harm in letting the male child rule?"

At this Tharsis stood, quaking with rage. "What _harm_? It flies in the face of the Gods' will!"

Caloria sighed. "The Gods, the Gods, the Gods. Why must we always be handcuffed by the ridiculous superstition of the Gods!"

Tharsis turned almost purple and looked as if he were about to strike Calorin.

"Settle down," said Adrastes.

Serenity stood and addressed the assembly for the first time. "Ambassador Tharsis," she said calmly. "No one intends to demean your faith. But Ambassador Adrastes is correct – the Light of Earth is gone with the death of the Princess and the Sailor Soldiers are down to four. You are adamant against a male ruling Earth. What do you propose be done instead?"

"It's simple," Tharsis answered, adjusting the sleeves of his robe. "Earth must forfeit its title as a Kingdom and must submit to the rule of the nearest Heavenly Body."

The Council exploded with fury. Everyone began to speak on top of everyone else.

"Oh, so that's your game, is it Tharsis?" growled Calorin. "This is all about expanding Martian territory!"

"Easy for you to judge so far from the Armistice Line!" Tharsis fired back. "You don't live under the constant threat of Saturnian forces returning."

"And neither do you!" shouted Adrastes, who immediately rose from his seat. He towered above the collected assembly. "Are you implying that the rebels could possibly break through Jupiterian lines?"

"Well, I'd feel a lot more comfortable if your Princess behaved more like a monarch instead of flying around in a cockpit day and night! She's liable to get herself killed and then where would we be?"

Adrastes burned scarlet with rage. "Our Princess is a warrior! And when the time comes, she'll be ready to protect the Empire! Which is more than I can say for your Princess who, from what I'm told, sits around meditating all day long."

Calorin and Avana jumped between the two just before the argument elevated to fisticuffs.

"Please! Please!" said Serenity. "Comport yourselves as ambassadors should!" The assembly settled down, but the tension was palpable. "I think we're ready to put this matter to a vote. All in favor of seating Prince Endymion on the throne of the Temperate Kingdom of Earth, please raise your hand."

All but Tharsis raised their hands. "And all opposed?" Only Tharsis.

"The vote being four to one in favor, the motion carries. Prince Endymion will be immediately seated and formally recognized as the one true monarch of Earth." Serenity looked around the room and let her gaze come to rest on Tharsis. "Any other motions?" Sure enough, Tharsis raised his hand.

"The Holy Kingdom of Mars moves, as ever, that the Inner Alliance adopt a resolution seeking formal reconciliation with our brethren, the Kingdoms of the Outer Alliance."

Almost automatically, Serenity replied: "Does anyone second?" And as usual, there was no reply.

….

_Moments like this and it's all worth it_, Beryl thought contentedly as she lay on the soft earth with her head in Darien's lap and he twisted a lock of her hair between his fingers.

"I'm sorry I didn't come to see you sooner," Darien murmured. "Security's been unusually tight on the main roads these days."

"Have you heard the rumors?"

Darien bristled. "Yeah, I've heard them. It's probably just a lot of trouble being stirred up by the crazy radical religious sects. I swear, this place gets more and more like the red planet each day." Darien didn't bother to hide his derision as he spoke.

"Oh, I don't know that they're so crazy. It's peace they want after all. What's so wrong with that?"

Darien stiffened. "They want peace by any means necessary. I bet if the Martians had just one other Inner Alliance ally, they'd go charging through the Armistice Line and attempt to make peace with the Outers by themselves. Then they'd force the rest of us into submission."

"Oh, come on, Darien," Beryl cajoled, trying to keep the mood light. "Mars isn't so bad. In fact, I heard that the Princess is going to select her husband only from willing volunteers."

Darien snorted. "I guess that's something."

Suddenly, there came a rustling in the bushes. They both looked up and gasped to see a soldier emerge from the woods. He was tall, solidly-built and had a flowing mane of chestnut hair pulled back into a tight ponytail. Beryl felt a pang of recognition. _Where do I know him from?_ She looked up at Darien and saw his eyes squinting as if he were trying to remember as well.

"Darien," said the soldier matter-of-factly. Darien looked down at Beryl. She shrugged.

"Yeah?" he asked, not bothering to stand, despite the formal air exuded by the soldier.

"You are to come with me immediately to the Palace in Hadean City."

Darien didn't move. Beryl suddenly felt paralyzed with fear.

"On what charge?" Darien challenged. He tried to sound confident, but Beryl could hear a note of panic in his voice.

The soldier pursed his lips. "You are not under arrest," he replied, "but I do need you to come with me now. It is a matter of the highest importance."

Darien gulped. They both scrambled to their feet and Darien took two steps toward the soldier. He turned back to face Beryl. "I'm not sure what I did," he whispered, reaching out to touch her face. "But I'll come back for you. I'll take you away from here. I swear it."

Beryl nodded, her eyes filling with tears. Darien turned again and began to follow the soldier through the woods. And then he was gone.


	11. Chapter 10: Truth

**CHAPTER TEN:** Truth

Darien felt nothing. Not rage, not despair, not elation, not relief, not anything. He found it ironic that he had so desperately tried to remember his past all throughout his young life and now that he had uncovered the truth, all he wanted to do was run back to the woods to find his adoptive family and the girl he loved.

"Did you hear what I said, Endymion?" said Her Majesty, the Queen Terrania. She sat regally at her throne and looked imposing, though not unkind. Her advisor, a tall, terrifying figure with cold gray eyes and electric white hair, who stood to her right, however, had a stern, harsh expression on his face. Darien knew the Queen was addressing him, but the name was unfamiliar and strange—yet at the same time, he had heard it countless times before. Indeed, there was not a soul on the planet, in all the Inner Alliance probably, who did not know the name of the Earth King. Granted, his role in royal affairs was limited, as that of all Kings was, but he still enjoyed immense popularity.

"I—I heard, Your Majesty," Darien said hesitantly.

Terrania pursed her lips and admonished him at once. "Endymion, you are the Prince of Earth. You may address me as 'Mother.'"

He felt a pang in his chest as he thought of the woman who had raised him the past seven years. "But Maia, of the Permian District," he began.

"No, darling," Terrania interrupted. "Kunzite chose Maia and Jacob to care for you, to raise you as their own. But you are born of royal blood and now is the time for you to take your rightful place at the throne. You will inherit my Kingdom and rule Earth as King."

Darien had trouble processing all the information he had received in such a short amount of time. He had so many questions. It seemed barely plausible that it was a mere two hours ago that he was lounging carefree under the trees with Beryl in his arms. _Beryl_, he thought. _She will never believe this!_

"Darling, I understand that this must be very difficult for you to comprehend right now. But I'm sure you can appreciate why we had to send you into hiding and why we had to erase your memories of where you came from. Your life was in danger."

Darien cleared his throat. "I understand that Your—ah, Mother. I just—I just don't think I'm, um, _qualified_ to be a King."

At this, Terrania smiled. "Oh, but you are, my dear. I'm told you have extraordinary character. Everything else you need to know, your guardians will teach you."

"Guardians?"

"Yes. I have asked Kunzite here to retire as my chief advisor so that he may teach you all you need to know to rule. He has put together a wonderful team. A military expert to teach you combat, an ambassador to teach you interplanetary politics, and an etiquette instructor to teach you how to behave in foreign courts. But the Gifting Ceremony is coming up soon so you had better get to work."

"The—oh!" said Darien. "Right. That. I guess I have to go to that, huh?"

Terrania leaned over and whispered to Kunzite: "Make sure he has lessons in elocution." Darien winced as he overheard.

"All right, Prince," said Kunzite, speaking at last. "I think we should get started right away. Come, let me introduce you to your new guardians."

Darien nodded in assent and followed Kunzite wordlessly as he led the way through the corridors of the castle. Darien had never even dreamed of such opulence. _Wonder which one is my room, _he thought.

As if answering Darien's unspoken question, Kunzite spoke up, "The entire northern wing belongs to Your Majesty." Darien was agog as Kunzite swept into the northern wing which was separated from the rest of the palace by two large, steel doors. He waited for a feeling of familiarity to wash over him as he took in his surroundings, but the feeling never came. He had spent the first five years of his life in these rooms, but Darien felt as though that life belonged to a stranger.

The first room they came upon was set up like a living room. Already in there waiting for them were three almost-identically dressed men, who stood immediately upon the entrance of the Prince.

The first man to step forward was standing so erect Darien supposed a metal rod might be affixed to his spine. His long, dark hair was pulled back in a low, crisp ponytail and his eyes were affixed on a point just above Darien's head. Kunzite spoke again: "This is Nephrite. He graduated with honors from Amalthea Academy and then served for almost twenty years with the Jupiterian Special Guard. He has personally flown reconnaissance missions with the Princess Jupiter herself."

Darien nodded. It never failed to shock him that the child princess of Jupiter was already leading squadrons.

Nephrite stepped back into line and the second man stepped forward. He looked younger than the other two; his sandy hair was slicked back with oil and his clear blue eyes shone with excitement. "This," Kunzite continued, "is Jaedite. He graduated from the University of Hermea City with a double doctorate in both political science and theology. He studied abroad in the Temple of Apollo earning their highest certificate. He served as Special Ambassador of Earth to the Royal Council for the past nine years. He is an expert in interplanetary politics. You will learn much from him."

Darien nodded again and his gaze roved to the last man. His long, strawberry blond hair was pulled back into a low, but messy ponytail and his steely gray eyes looked sad, but focused. "This is Zoisite. He served as the personal tutor of Her Royal Highness the Princess Callista – may she rest in peace. Zoisite is an expert in social graces. He spent several years in the courts of each of the Heavenly Bodies."

Darien nodded again. A few moments passed in silence before Darien realized it was his turn to speak. He cleared his throat cautiously and said, "Ah, well, it certainly is a pleasure to meet you all. I'm sure we'll all get along great. I can't wait to get started!"

Kunzite cleared his throat. "We will take our leave of you for now, Your Majesty. I'm sure you'll require some time to get settled in. We'll send for you when it's time for dinner."

Kunzite gestured to the three other advisors and they all bent in slight bows before exiting the antechamber.

"One thing, Highness," said Zoisite over his shoulder from the hallway. "I hung up a dinner outfit in your armoire."

Darien forced a half smile. "Thank you, Zoisite," he said. Once they were gone, Darien turned toward the door that led to his bedroom. The door itself was only evinced by a doorknob poking out of the wall and a thin, rectangular line etched into the wall. Darien gripped the knob, rotated it slightly, and pushed it forward. His jaw dropped as he took in the surroundings. He took a timid step into the room. _I can't believe this is all mine_, he thought as he roamed the great room. He inspected every inch, which was ornately decorated with Venusian art even he recognized as masterworks. He traced his fingers over the elaborate detailed moldings that ran along the walls. He gazed longingly at the enormous four-poster bed, complete with dark canopy. He suddenly felt exhausted. He rested his hand on the thick, plush bedspread, but resisted the temptation to climb in. He wandered over to the desk stocked with stationery bearing the royal seal of the House of Earth and all sorts of writing implements. He sat down at once and began to compose a letter.

"Dearest Beryl," he began. Then he made a face and crumpled up the paper and threw it into a wastebasket underneath the desk. "My lady Beryl," he tried again. He sighed and tossed the paper into the trash. He imagined her reading the letter and laughing at his attempts to sound regal. He glanced out the open window just above his desk. The moon was out in full glory, despite it being the middle of the day. For a moment, Darien sat, transfixed, staring at the moon. It was beautiful. He sighed again and started his letter over:

_Dear Bee,_

_ You will never believe what happened! (Okay, maybe you will given the OFFICIAL SEAL ON THIS LETTER!) I am PRINCE ENDYMION OF EARTH! (Sorry to be blunt. I debated the best way to tell you, but decided to just come out and say it.) I can't even believe it. Apparently, my mom sent me away when I was five after Callista (MY SISTER!) died because she wanted me to rule but people went nuts about it and tried to kill me or something. So they erased my memories (apparently some Martian monk knows how to do this – I told you Martians are WEIRD) and sent me to Hadean House. One of my guardians arranged for the adoption. Another one lobbied the Royal Council to seat me on the throne. It's so crazy the way everyone fusses over me. I can do anything I want. Which brings me to the main point of this letter! I'M COMING TO GET YOU! Write back and let me know when you will be packed and ready to go. I miss you all the time, Bee._

_Darien_


	12. Chapter 11: Capture

**CHAPTER ELEVEN:** Capture

Lita woke, as she did every morning, before the sun peeked over the horizon. She showered, blew out her wavy, chestnut hair that hung down to her mid-back and secured it in a loose ponytail. Long tendrils framed her face and her bangs swept across the side of her forehead shading her emerald eyes. She required her soldiers to either buzz their hair altogether or else secure it in a might tighter fashion than she applied to herself. As Princess, she could make such rules. She examined her barely-clothed body in her full-length mirror. She was tall, but at only twelve years of age, hardly robust. Her gaze fell to her chest and she sighed in dissatisfaction. At Queen Zeusania's last birthday, she had been visited by her best friend among the monarchs, the Queen Aphrodinia. Lita had never paid much attention to her own appearance until that day when she first laid eyes on the Venusian royal. Ever since then she had taken to appraising herself in the mirror and searching for imperfections. At first, her nose bothered her. It was too upturned. Then she focused her attention on her ears. They were too small for her face. But lately, she was obsessed over her boyish frame. She felt gangly and awkward. It didn't help that the Gifting Ceremony was coming up and from what she'd heard, the other Princesses were fantastically beautiful.

Lita sighed and began to rub warming cream into her skin. They would be flying the first of several patrols around the outer boundaries of Jupiterian airspace that afternoon and it was likely to get cold. She pulled her flight suit on over her underclothes and zipped herself up. After lacing up her boots, she left her personal quarters and headed for the mess hall. The hall wasn't full of soldiers just yet. They still had twenty minutes before they were required to have started their breakfast, but Lita liked to be early to set a good example for the men in her squads.

"Morning, Highness," greeted Balthazar, her first general and personal flight instructor. He was the highest-ranking officer, after herself.

"Hi, Balthazar," Lita greeted as she piled a small mountain of scrambled eggs onto her plate. "We taking a peek at our hostile neighbor today?"

Balthazar chuckled. "You know your Mother's orders better than anyone, Highness. We are to take some long-range pictures only. No antagonizing the enemy."

Lita smiled and sat down at a corner table that was unofficially reserved for her and her highest officers. She usually preferred to sit with her infantry, but today was a big mission day.

"I'm sure Mother wouldn't mind if I got a good look at their arsenal on Hyperion," said Lita wistfully.

"Perhaps when you get a few more stripes on your jet, Highness," said Balthazar, his tone a skillful mix between respectful and patronizing.

"Yeah, yeah," said Lita, between mouthfuls of egg.

Lita ate in silence as the officers chatted around her.

"We got word that they were doing military exercises around the E-ring region. We'll go in and take some long-range shots and assess the situation," said one officer.

"They're probably just drilling like we do every day," said another.

"They've never drilled this far out in their airspace before," said the first.

"I think something's got them spooked," said Balthazar.

Lita tuned out the conversation, transfixed by her reflection in the now-cleaned metal plate on the table in front of her. _I hate my nose_, she complained to herself.

….

"All right, crew, let's get those pretty pictures!" Lita shouted to the crowd of fifteen soldiers in her command. They were all fairly young, only a few years out of the Academy, and extremely eager. They hooted and hollered as she led the way into the jet hangar. Her ship, a beautiful, sleek Jaguar X-7 with the royal crest painted above the wing with her callsign, Thunderbird, etched into the metal just below her window. It was tradition that each Jupiterian monarch adopt the same callsign once she reached flying age. She climbed into her seat and switched on her plane. She grinned as it whirred to life. She pulled on her helmet and switched her radio to the general broadcast channel. "Let's move!" she ordered. She threw her jet into gear and felt a jolt of adrenaline as it peeled out of the hangar and hurtled into space.

The sky darkened around her as the swirling oranges and reds and browns of Jupiter faded away and Lita led her squadron deeper into space. It wasn't long before they were at the boundaries of Jupiter's airspace situated few clicks from each other at the line. "Cameras on," she directed. Lita switched on her camera and peered into the lens. She could see nothing but black space and tiny dots that she supposed were Saturn's outer moons. Then entered a set of coordinates into the camera's keypad and magnified the lens a few times. As she magnified, the Saturnian moon of Hyperion gradually came into view and she could see minute specks flying around the moon in battle formations. "Yup, they're drilling," she murmured, snapping pictures. After exhausting the camera's magnification capabilities, Lita sighed. _These images are practically useless_, she thought. _If only I could get closer._ The corners of Lita's mouth curled upward and she switched broadcast channels so that she could speak privately to her wingman, a young aristocrat from Earth named Max who had been sent to Amalthea Academy as punishment for dallying with too many young women from his city. Fortunately for the Jupiterian military forces, Max had discovered a passion for flying, and he was quite good at it, advancing quickly up the ranks until he was Lita's number two. He earned the callsign Dragon after a particularly tense military exercise when his engine exploded and his jet—half on fire—fell to the surface of Jupiter. As the rest of his training class watched aghast as he fell, his jet looked like a fire-breathing dragon dancing across the horizon. Miraculously, he survived, and earned his wings from the recovery ward.

"Dragon, come in, this is T-Bird," she said.

"Go, T-Bird," came the automatic response.

"I'll be right back," said Lita. "I won't be long. You're in charge till I get back, okay?"

There was a two-beat pause. Then: "Uh, copy that, T-Bird. But can I ask why you're deviating from the mission plan?"

Lita smirked. "The mission plan is to get pictures of the activities at the Hyperion base. I'm not deviating," she replied. She switched off the radio and gunned her engine straight across the border separating Jupiterian and Saturnian airspace.

….

As Lita flew in closer to Hyperion, she switched on her Unknown Craft Tracker system to make sure she kept a safe distance from the Saturnian squads that were flying in intricate formations around the Hyperion base. She magnified her camera's lens and this time took beautifully crisp images of the intricate battle formations and an expansive artillery facility. "It looks like they're readying for a battle," she murmured. "What could they be up to?" Without realizing it, Lita was flying closer and closer. She kept snapping photos. _Mother won't be so mad I deviated from the mission plan when she sees these pictures_, she thought, feeling smug and self-satisfied.

Suddenly, her U.C.T. system began to chirp. _Uh oh_, Lita thought. _Time to go!_ She flipped her aircraft around and gunned the engine. Her heart pounded erratically as she raced toward the Jupiterian airspace boundary. The craft behind her was rapidly closing the distance. _Just go away_, she thought. A bright orange burst of light flew past Lita's left side window so close that it vibrated her ship.

"He shot at me!" she exclaimed in shock. She narrowed her eyes and moved her hand to the weapons console. Her index finger hovered over the keypad. Then she sighed and closed her hand into a fist. Her whole body was itching to turn around and engage, but one missile launched from her ship in Saturnian airspace would be an unequivocal act of war. She gripped her steering wheel with both hands and began to move in an erratic defensive flight pattern hoping her pursuer would lose interest and back off before she reached the boundary and engaged her squadron to come to her aid.

Lita zigzagged and weaved, but he was right on her tail and kept shooting. She expertly spiraled out of the way of each shot. "You really want to do this?" she muttered. The chase continued on and Lita was surprised by the skill of her pursuer. Somehow he managed to corral her and chase her deeper into Saturnian airspace. They were headed straight into Hyperion. He kept firing missile after missile at her and she kept dodging them, ducking and weaving—it was as if they were dancing some intricate ballet. After what seemed like forever, he ran out of missiles and switched to smaller, short-range bullets.

"Damn it!" Lita swore as the bullets riddled her tail gun. Suddenly, her chaser began to fly formation with her. _Uh oh_, she thought again as she realized she was being escorted into the Hyperion atmosphere. _Well, at least he stopped shooting at me!_

Lita tried desperately to remember her lessons on enemy capture. She had deliberately tuned out because the very idea of her capture seemed insulting beyond belief. As she prepared to land her craft on an open airstrip she switched her camera to automatically snap a photo every three seconds. _Might as well_, she thought. Her heart raced when she noticed the array of cannons trained on her ship as she rolled to a controlled stop on the airstrip. No sooner had she landed than what looked like thirty uniformed soldiers ran out onto the tarmac each shouldering an assault rifle aimed in her direction. They advanced on her quickly but once they got a closer look at her ship they slowed their pace. She looked into the face of the nearest soldier. He was sweating bullets and looked like he might pass out. No one moved. Lita waited patiently for someone to let her know it was all right to exit her craft. Finally, one of the soldiers, who appeared to be taking directions from someone on the other end of the radio affixed to his shoulder shouted: "Exit your craft slowly with your hands on your head!" He cocked his weapon and took dead aim at the young princess.


	13. Chapter 12: Tradition

**CHAPTER TWELVE:** Tradition

Dinner was an incredibly awkward affair. Darien sat at the end of a long, stone table in a very uncomfortable high-backed chair. His wool dinner jacket chafed at his neck, rubbing it raw. He could not stop fidgeting, despite the never-ending sharp glances from Zoisite, who sat directly to his left. His mother, Terrania, sat at the opposite end of the table with King Endymion to her right.

"Are you excited for the Gifting Ceremony, darling?" Terrania asked cordially.

Darien abruptly put down the crystal goblet filled with swirling red wine. A little bit sailed out of the cup and dotted the crisp, white tablecloth in small purple droplets. Zoisite glared. Darien blanched.

"Um, yes Your—ah, Mother. Yes, Mother. It seems like it should be a great time."

King Endymion's eyes sparkled over his spectacles. "Wouldn't it be lovely if he made a match with one of the Princesses?"

Terrania grinned and cast an adoring glance at her husband. "I don't doubt it will happen. He's as handsome as his father." Endymion laughed a hearty laugh and leaned in to kiss his wife's cheek, which flushed at his touch.

It took Darien a moment to piece together the conversation that was happening.

"Um," he interjected. "Match?"

Terrania acknowledged her son and replied, "Yes, darling. The Gifting Ceremony will be the perfect opportunity for you to meet the Princesses and make a suitable life match."

Darien felt the color drain from his face. "And by life match you mean…life…match."

"Marriage, of course," Zoisite hissed.

Darien gasped. "But I'm only fifteen!" he objected. Terrania laughed, a high-pitched, melodic trill.

"Well, of course we don't mean for you to marry _now_," she chirped. "But the courting process is a long one and it's never too early to start looking!"

Darien was horrified. He had been looking forward to the Gifting Ceremony, a centuries-old tradition wherein the monarchs of all the Heavenly Bodies meet all in one place for the first time and bring gifts for the newly-crowned Princess Serenity. He knew that as the first male to participate, all eyes would be on him and it would be a great chance for him to show the worlds that their faith in him hadn't been misplaced. But now it was all starting to sound like an elaborate matchmaking scheme.

"Um, Mother," said Darien, twisting a corner of the tablecloth nervously in his hand, "there already is a girl I love."

A stunned silence met him in reply. Darien looked nervously at Zoisite who, for the first time all evening, failed to look him directly in the eye. Kunzite and Nephrite, seated to his right, exchanged nervous glances. Jaedite, seated next to Zoisite, was suddenly very interested in his summer squash.

Darien, aware of his apparent faux pas, tried to backpedal. "What I mean is, well, I have this friend. A girl. She lives in the Permian District. We grew up together actually. And I just kind of always thought that if I were to get married someday…Well, she's really the only girl I ever really…"

Terrania slammed her hand open-palmed down onto the table, cutting Darien off abruptly.

"Endymion," she said in a low-tone. It was clear she was trying to manage her temper. "It isn't proper for a Prince of Earth to marry a commoner."

Darien swallowed and looked down at the pile of asparagus left untouched on his plate.

King Endymion coughed uncomfortably. "Now, now, surely there's no need to have this discussion at the present time. The Gifting Ceremony will be a good opportunity for you to meet the other heads of state. No need to think about marriage just yet," he said, trying to leaven the tension in the room.

Terrania softened at her husband's words, but she wasn't quite finished with the subject. "True enough, my dear," she said. "Besides, once Darien sees the Princesses, I'm sure he'll come to his senses."

Darien's face contorted in frustration. "Mother," he growled. "Please don't talk about me as if I'm not in the room."

Terrania looked startled. "Calm down, Endymion," she said. "All I am saying is that you haven't seen enough of the worlds to focus all your attentions on one girl. They say the Princess Serenity has grown up to be quite beautiful."

"My girl is beautiful," he muttered under his breath.

Terrania continued as if she hadn't heard him. "And the Princess Venus is quite the stunner I'm told."

Darien made a face as he thought of himself among the barely-clad, chiseled-chested Venusian consorts that always surrounded the Queen Aphrodinia whenever she paid a visit to Earth.

"And the Princess Mars—"

Darien had heard enough. "You would marry me off to the Martian Princess?" he exploded.

"Lower your voice, Endymion," Terrania warned.

"I won't!" he shouted, standing up so abruptly his goblet fell over and came crashing to the floor spilling its contents all over the tablecloth and the handspun carpet. Zoisite brought his hand to his face and shook his head slowly.

"Endymion, you are the Prince of Earth!" his mother admonished. "You must act like it!"

"I thought I was, Mother," Darien replied bitterly. "I was happy living out there in the woods, you know. And ever since I came back here I have done _everything_ that was asked of me!"

Terrania stood up. With the full force of her imposing presence now directed toward the young Prince she said, "The matter is not up for discussion. A Prince of Earth _will not_ marry a commoner!" And with that, she turned and left the dining room. The King stood up to follow pausing only to throw a small smile in Darien's direction.

Darien stood, fuming. Finally, Kunzite spoke up: "Prince, you must learn to control your emotions."

Darien glared. He looked around at his other advisors and waited for someone to speak up in his defense. When no one did, he stalked back to his room in angry silence. He dropped into his desk and began to fire off another letter to Beryl.

_Dear Beryl,_

_ Why didn't you write me back? I really miss you. Life at the palace isn't always wonderful. I feel like I had way more freedom living out in the woodlands. I could come and go as I pleased and associate with whoever I wanted. Now I feel like my life is all rules, rules, rules. And nothing I do is ever good enough for them! One of these days I'm going to show them what I'm made of. Then they'll all be sorry they doubted me._

_ Write back soon, okay? _

_Love,_

_Darien _

….

It was hot and staggeringly humid as usual in Aphelion City, the capital of Venus. The teenage princess lay out on a chaise in the center courtyard around which the Palace of Aphelia sat sunning herself in a bikini of pale orange. Two shirtless young men fanned her while a third, the newest addition to her retinue of consorts, massaged her feet. Mina liked to while away her leisure hours in this fashion while she read the classics. Propped up on her bare stomach was _Ten Tales_, a collection of Danilova's most famous love stories. Her right hand dangled lazily in the crystal clear pool in the center of the courtyard.

"What are you reading, Highness?" asked Ravi, the youth at her feet. He was about her age and staggeringly handsome. Queen Aphrodinia had spotted him at the Hadean City marketplace selling earthenware. She was enchanted by his smoldering dark eyes and auburn hair and invited him on the spot to join her daughter's court.

Mina blinked her baby blue eyes in rapid succession and replied, "I'm _re_-reading _The Secret_."

"What's it about?"

"You never read _The Secret_?" Mina asked incredulously. Ravi shook his head. Mina clutched the book to her chest. "It's my _favorite_. It's about the secret forbidden tryst between the Jupiterian Prince Pasiphae and the Saturnian Princess Rhea. See, she was betrothed to a Uranian viscount named Penn, but she fell in love with Pasiphae which of course enraged all three royal households."

"I always thought the Houses of Jupiter and Saturn hated each other, even before the war?" Ravi asked, kneading the delicate soles of Mina's feet with his knuckles.

"It's true," Mina replied. "The two gas giants always seemed to be trying to out muscle each other. So when Pasiphae started courting Rhea it was quite the scandal. At first no one seemed to notice because this was the beginning of the War. But then the Uranian viscount caught the pair of them in a most _compromising_ position." Mina raised her eyebrows knowingly and Ravi chuckled, although she could detect a faint blush rising in his cheeks. "Now, tradition was such that anyone in Penn's situation would challenge the rival on the spot to a duel to the death. But Penn wanted to really get even with Rhea."

Ravi spoke up at this: "Killing him wouldn't do the trick?"

Mina grinned and replied, "Oh, he still planned to kill him. But he still wanted to marry Rhea so he could be King of Saturn, rather than a regular Uranian noble. So he figured rather than challenge her lover, slay him, and lose any chance at becoming King, he devised a sneakier plan to get back at them both. He paid off one of Rhea's servants to spy for him and he learned that Rhea planned to cook Pasiphae a birthday dinner all on her own. Penn went to an apothecary and bought a lethal poison that killed quickly but manifested as food poisoning. When Rhea slipped out of the kitchen to change her clothes, he snuck in and dropped the poison into his fish."

"How did he know that Rhea wouldn't eat it?" Ravi interrupted.

Mina glared at him.

"Oh right, sorry," Ravi said, slightly embarrassed. "I forgot the Saturnians don't eat meat."

"Anyway," Mina went on, "he poisoned the fish and shortly after Rhea and Pasiphae finished their dinner, Pasiphae dropped dead. The Mercurian physician pronounced it food poisoning and Rhea was so wracked with guilt that she married Penn without a struggle. She felt she didn't deserve to be happy after what she did."

"So she went to her grave believing she killed her love?" Ravi asked, his eyes filled with concern.

Mina nodded. "And the House of Jupiter was enraged. Shortly after that, the Queen of Jupiter declared her allegiance to Queen Serenity and the House of Saturn had no choice but to secede. Mercurians would have you believe that the divide occurred over politics and economics, but I think it was love." Mina sighed and hugged her book to her chest ever tighter. "It wasn't until Penn died, almost twenty years after Rhea, that the truth was uncovered in his diaries. And by then it was too late."

"If I may ask, Highness, why is such a tragedy your favorite story?"

Mina smiled as she took in his innocent question. She met his gaze and pulled her feet back and leaned forward. _He really is beautiful_, she thought. She made a mental note to thank her mother for choosing him for her. She held up her hand and spoke to the two consorts at her side and said, "Leave us." They immediately dropped the fans onto the hard, stone ground and made a hasty exit. They were alone in the courtyard. Mina stood up and turned to face Ravi. "Because," she said seductively as she reached up her back and pulled on the string keeping the top half of her bikini in place, "the tragedy is what makes it real." She let her top float to the ground and stood facing him, exposed and confident. She could practically hear his heart begin to race as she started down the steps into the cool water. She walked out into the pool until the water came up to her hips and gently lapped against her skin. The ends of her long, flaxen hair were splayed at the surface of the water. "Join me?" she asked, raising one eyebrow. Ravi scrambled to his feet and ungracefully splashed his way into the pool. He walked slowly toward the Princess. He timidly extended his arm toward her. She gently clasped his hand in hers and placed it on the small of her back. She took his face in her hands and kissed him passionately.

….

Kunzite hummed as he sorted through the outgoing mail. He paused when he came across a letter bearing the official seal of Earth and addressed in the young prince's childlike scrawl. Kunzite removed the letter from the stack before handing the rest to the royal courier. _Another letter to the maid in the Permian District_, he thought. _The Queen would be furious._ He swiftly tucked the letter into his breast pocket and disappeared down the hall.


	14. Chapter 13: Enemies

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN:** Enemies

Lita pushed the button that raised the glass casing covering the cockpit and immediately placed both hands on the top of her helmet. Slowly she stood up and turned to face the legion of Saturnian soldiers. She carefully stepped out onto the wing and gently hopped to the ground. Keeping her hands firmly in place on her helmet, she stood absolutely still and waited. Her eyes swept to the side as her captor leapt down from his jet and jogged over to where she stood. He stopped about twenty feet away from her flanked on either side by armed soldiers. She felt her body tingle with electricity as she eyed each of the guns fixed on her. One swift command and she could wipe them all out. She strained to keep her cool. _I will not be responsible for another interstellar war, _she told herself firmly.

He removed his helmet, but Lita's bangs obscured her view and tickled her nose. She wished she could take off her helmet and scratch it. He turned slightly toward the tail end of her jet. At that moment, Lita remembered that the symbol of her house was painted on the aircraft. She gulped.

"Slowly remove your helmet," commanded her captor. Lita was perplexed that he seemed to be giving the orders around here, but she complied. He approached her cautiously and several of the soldiers followed, never lowering their guns. When her helmet was lifted, she brought her hand to her face and pushed her bangs out of the way.

He was beautiful.

His eyes were as green as her own, but his hair was a sandy blond and cut to just above his ear. His features were angular and shaded with a smoky stubble. Lita's heart slammed against her chest but she couldn't tell if it was because she had landed herself in enemy territory or if it was the effect he had on her. She felt herself blush as she approached.

"_You're_ the Princess Jupiter?" he finally asked, incredulously.

Unable to speak, Lita nodded.

"But you're just a _child_!" he exclaimed, his eyes wide in surprise.

Lita was not quite in possession of all her mental faculties and therefore, it did not occur to her at that moment to be insulted. She said nothing.

"So tell me, Princess," he said smugly, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "What exactly are you doing in my jurisdiction?"

_Jurisdiction? _Lita thought._ He speaks like a royal_.

"I…um," Lita stammered. "Um, I got lost?"

He threw his head back and laughed; it was a deep, belly laugh, but not unkind. "I really don't think you got lost, Princess. From what I could tell up there—" He gestured toward the sky, "You're quite the flyer. And I bet your navigation skills are on par with your flying technique."

Lita blushed a deep crimson at the compliment, but said nothing more.

"I guess I'll have to resort to alternative means to get you to talk to me," he said.

Lita winced. She hadn't counted on being tortured today.

"Take her into the interrogation room," he commanded. Lita submit as two soldiers approached her and took hold of each of her arms and escorted her into an aluminum-paneled building near the airstrip. She was taken into a room with harsh white lights and, after she was briefly searched, she was seated in a straight-backed plastic chair. "Leave," her captor ordered his subordinates. They saluted and exited the small room leaving the two of them alone. He pulled out the chair opposite her, turned it around, and sat in it backwards facing her. He calmly removed a cigarette case from his breast pocket and let it dangle from his lips for a brief moment as he searched for a lighter. Lita's eyes darted around the room as he lit his cigarette and took a long drag. As he exhaled, he stared at her.

"Princess," he said. "I'd really like to know what the commander of the Inner Alliance military fleet is doing in Saturnian airspace." He blew out a puff of smoke and Lita crinkled her nose. She absolutely abhorred smoking. In fact, she'd banned it at the base. But suddenly she felt grateful for the intrusion of the poisonous cloud into her body. It cleared her focus and distracted her from her fixation on the dimple carved into his left cheek.

"And I would like to know," she responded coolly, "why the Saturnian military is doing training drills?"

He smirked at her. "You have a lot of guts coming into my house and demanding answers, Princess, I must say." Lita didn't respond. "Well," he continued, "as far as I know, this is the first cross-Alliance interaction since the Great War. We might as well introduce ourselves."

Lita glanced at him. Raising her chin most regally, she replied, "I am Her Royal Highness, the Princess Litania of the Citadel Kingdom of Jupiter."

He tried to stifle a smile. "And exactly how old are you, Your Royal Highness?"

Lita sensed he was mocking her, but did her best to ignore it. "I'll be thirteen soon."

"Only _twelve_? Wow," he said, shaking his head and grinning.

"And who are you?" she challenged, getting tired of his charade.

He straightened back in his chair and said: "I am Prince Titus, next in line to rule the Halcyon Kingdom of Saturn."

Lita's mouth fell open. She had so many questions and they all crowded together in her brain until they had become a jumble of unintelligible thoughts. After a whole minute went by in silence, she finally managed: "What are you doing way out here?"

"I live out here," he answered. "The palace lifestyle really isn't for me. I came out here when I was about your age to serve my time in the military and I just loved it. So I stayed. I'll head back to the mainland when it's time for me to rule, but until then, I get to shoot down rogue enemy warbirds!"

Lita grimaced. "You did _not_ shoot me down," she corrected.

"Fine, fine," he conceded.

"And what do you mean when it's time for you to rule? Has the Outer Alliance done away with the matriarchy?"

Titus looked away. "Not exactly," he said. "But my sister is sick. She's about your age. We don't think she'll live long enough to rule."

Lita cleared her throat. "Well, I'm sorry to hear that." Titus took another drag on his cigarette. Lita made a face.

"Is this bothering you?" he asked innocently. Lita didn't answer. Titus flashed a smile and smashed the cigarette out onto the table. "Litania," he continued. "You still haven't told me what you're doing out here. And all alone." Lita pursed her lips and looked away. Titus sighed. "Fine. It doesn't take a Mercurian to figure it out. You saw us drilling and came out to investigate. Make sure we stayed on our side of the Line."

Lita replied: "Well? Why are you drilling?" She looked away and added, "Most people call me Lita, by the way."

Titus grinned, flashing that dimple again. "Lita," he repeated. "I like it." Lita glowered. "Well," Titus continued, "I can't actually tell you why we were running formations, but I can tell you one thing: we have no intentions to go anywhere near the Armistice Line."

"I'm sure you'll understand if I don't take your word for it."

"Of course," said Titus. "Royal to royal, I don't trust you either."

Lita scoffed. "Well, we have better things to do then pick a fight with an inferior force."

Titus smirked. "With all due respect, Princess. I've got twelve thousand armed soldiers just outside this door. You're here all alone. No backup."

Lita narrowed her eyes. Suddenly, her expression grew dark and her hair began to rise, charged with unseen static electricity. The symbol of Jupiter emblazoned on her forehead started to glow and emit tiny bolts of lightning. "I don't need backup," she growled.

Titus gasped. Lita saw the sudden fear in his eyes and calmed down.

"It's been a very long time since—since I've seen the Light," he said quietly. "I was six years old. My sister was just born. My mother passed it to her. It was a brilliant purple, just like her eyes."

Suddenly Lita felt ashamed of herself. "Titus," she said. "I don't want there to be some kind of incident between our worlds. Why don't you just let me go and it'll be like I never came?"

His expression was soft. "No one wants a war. Come on, I'll escort you to your aircraft."

….

Zoisite cringed when he thought of what had happened at dinner_. I should have coached him more about the marital protocols of the royals_, he thought, wringing his hands. _But who could have known conversation would have taken _that_ turn?_ Zoisite reached inside his cloak and withdrew a small silver flask from his chest pocket. He carefully unscrewed the cap and tossed his head back and poured the brown liquid into his open mouth. The sticky, sweet liquid burned his throat and quickly dulled his senses. Edges blurred and thoughts clouded on top of one another as he sank into his bed. Lately it required more and more of the stuff to drown her face out of his mind. Her small body, lifeless and cold. Her face ashen and dull, but still lovely. Zoisite twitched until his body finally succumbed gratefully to sleep.

….

"Well, Princess, thank you for visiting the Kingdom of Saturn. I hope you enjoyed your stay," said Titus as he helped Lita climb into her Jaguar jet.

"It was definitely…educational," she replied smiling. As Lita settled into the cockpit and pulled her helmet down over her now-tangled locks, Titus reached up and dropped a small electronic device into her lap.

"In case you ever want to…chat," he said. Lita thought she detected a slight reddening of his cheeks. She quickly inspected the foreign design of the communicator before securing it tightly in the storage compartment below her seat. She smiled at him and gunned her engine. Before she knew it, Hyperion was just a small orb below her as she raced back home.

….

_Dear Darien,_

_ It's been all over the papers. I can't believe you are the Prince Endymion! And I can't believe you're going to rule! This is really great news. The people were really worried about Earth's future when Queen Terrania's rule comes to an end. (Some were even saying we might be annexed by the Kingdom of Mars – can you imagine?) I am so excited for you! You always wanted to know where you came from and now you know. _

_ Things here are about the same. Mechanis is as boorish and crass as ever, but he's been leaving me alone lately and spending lots of time in pubs bragging about how the Prince Endymion used to spend his days with "his" daughter. I'll be of legal age in the next couple weeks and I'll finally get the keys to my safe deposit box from Hadean House. I can't wait to see what's in there. I hope to finally have some clues about where I came from. (Who knows, maybe I'm secretly a royal too!)_

_ I hope to hear from you soon, Darien. I was a little surprised and hurt that you hadn't written to me yet. But I guess being a Prince has kept you very busy. Please write back when you have a moment. There is something I need to tell you about._

_Love,_

_Beryl _


	15. Chapter 14: Tests

**CHAPTER FOURTEEN:** Tests

Amy stood as stiff as a board as she stared transfixed at a single point on the white wall ahead of her. A tingling icy feeling spread from the top of her forehead slowly down her face and neck and shoulders and cascaded down her arms until it had no place left to go but straight out her fingertips. An explosion of frozen bubbles burst out of her hands and filled the room with a thick, frozen fog.

"Are you getting all this?" she called.

A voice over a loudspeaker: "Yes, Highness. But the readings aren't clear. I need you to interpret."

Amy sighed and felt her way around for the door. Once she was through, she quickly ascended a set of stairs that led up to the viewing room. She looked out the glass windows that overlooked the room she was just in. A fine line of ice crystals had begun to form around the perimeter of the window. The Mercurian Princess swore under her breath as she interpreted the readings on the computer screen. Droplets of melted ice fell from her short, azure-tinged locks and spattered the floor.

"Could you explain what you hope to learn from these experiments, Highness?" asked Viola, a first-year weapons technologist.

Amy wiped some condensation from the window with her hand and watched in silence as the fog slowly dissipated from the room below.

"I want to know more about the Light," she whispered.

Viola looked confused. After all, who knew more about the Light than one of its royal bearers?

"It's volatile and of unexplained origins," said Amy, answering Viola's unspoken question. "Did you know that back in the Early Ages, a Martian Princess wiped out an entire colony of citizens after losing her temper for just a minute?"

Viola gasped. She wasn't sure what was more difficult to imagine. The slaughter of so many innocents or that a Martian had shown any kind of emotion?

"My Light isn't as destructive as that of my sister Princesses," continued Amy. "So it makes the most sense that I experiment to try to learn more about it."

"But isn't it very dangerous?"

"Science and technology don't advance without risk," said Amy, matter-of-factly. "Besides, I think I'm on the verge of something."

"What is it Your Highness hopes to achieve?"

Amy's eyes sparkled. "What if the power of the Light could be channeled into a vessel? A vessel outside our bodies?" Viola looked perplexed. "Suppose we could harness the Light by calling some kind of incantation and only _then_ could its power be unleashed? We could control it so much better and avoid unnecessary loss of life."

"It sounds good, Highness. But how would you do that? What kind of vessel?"

Amy furrowed her brow. "I don't know yet. These readings still aren't making much sense to me. If only I knew more about the origins of the Light."

"You could ask the Princess Mars at the Gifting Ceremony?" Viola suggested.

Amy scoffed. What she needed was a historian, not a superstitious adherent to the Scrolls.

….

A stoic Princess sat cross-legged on the hard-packed earthen floor of the Temple of Apollo as Phobos paced back and forth in front of her.

"Above all, Princess," Phobos continued, rapping a long leather switch against his palm for effect, "is to learn to control the Light."

Raye's eyes followed the switch up and down, up and down.

"The Light is considered the greatest gift to be bestowed to humanity outside the Divine Crystal," said Phobos. "But it is also the greatest burden. It is with you at all times, to be called upon at any moment. It can erupt without warning and cause irreparable damage if the Bearer does not wield complete control over herself. In other worlds, the danger is not as great. But the Light of Mars is the power of fire, an unforgiving and destructive force."

Her heart rate quickened.

"We practice the ancient discipline of meditation on Mars so that we can learn to control our emotions. This is of paramount importance for you above all, Princess. Any surge of emotion can cause the Light to burst forth from your body and wreak havoc. Do you understand, Princess?"

Raye blinked, but did not move her gaze from its fixed location. Her head, slightly bowed, nodded quickly. "I understand. I give myself freely to your instruction."

Phobos pursued his lips and raised the switch high in the air. It came down swiftly and with a deafening crack, left its mark on the side of Raye's face. The impact of the blow sent her flying across the floor in a tangled jumble of ebony hair and cotton robe.

….

Lita skillfully landed her jet in the open hangar and shut her engine down. No sooner had she done so than the ground crew was inspecting the bullet holes that riddled her tail. She winced as she lifted off her helmet and saw Balthazar skulking toward her.

"All right, how much trouble am I in?" said Lita as she climbed out onto the wing and hopped down, her boots thudding against the tarmac.

"I don't envy you now, Highness. Her Majesty is furious. You are to appear before her in the throne room at once."

Lita made a face and slowly made her way across the hangar with her head hung low and her hands stuffed in her pockets. She nervously rolled the small communicator Titus had given her back and forth across her fingers.

"Princess?" Balthazar called after her.

Lita whirled around.

"How close did you get?"

Lita darted her eyes to the ground but swiftly brought them back to meet Balthazar's gaze. "Oh. Uh, I got pretty close to the Hyperion atmosphere. A fighter gave chase and clipped my tail a bit as you can see. But I outflew him."

Balthazar smiled. "That's my girl."

Lita forced herself to return his smile. She felt terrible about lying to Balthazar. But she only had the strength to deal with one person angry with her at a time. And it was time to face her mother.

….

Raye brought her hand to her cheek and felt the heat that radiated from her wound. She had barely enough time to register her pain before the switch came down again, this time across her back.

"Ohh," she cried out softly. Her eyes met Phobos's briefly before the lash came down again meeting its target on the other side of her face. Her face grew hot at the blows, but relief never came. The heat intensified and she thought she detected a trace of fear flash across Phobos's face.

"Control, Princess," he murmured. She realized that the heat was not coming from the injury, but from the center of her forehead where the symbol of Mars lay imprinted.

….

Balthazar hoisted himself into the princess's vacated Jaguar jet and fiddled with the command modules to get a printout of her flight pattern to analyze. A blinking red light caught his attention. The lateral camera was full of digital images Lita hadn't remembered to download. Balthazar switched on the console monitor and stared as images began to flash on the screen. The sandy yellow complexion of Hyperion's sandy surface. Scores of Saturnian soldiers. The Princess being led away with rifles trained on her. Her defiant expression replaced by—an almost blushing as she is escorted back to her jet by a young soldier. And was that the royal crest on his jacket? Balthazar pursed his lips and furrowed his brow. _No good at all_, he thought.


	16. Chapter 15: Gifts

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN:** Gifts

Serena was terribly bored by the whole affair.

"How long is this going to go on?" she whispered to Luna, who was sitting at her right.

"A very long while, Princess, now hush."

Serena sighed. She stole a glance to her left and tried to catch her mother's eye. But the Queen was perfectly stoic, almost expressionless, save a small, tranquil smile playing at her lips. Serena straightened. _I wonder if I'll have her patience someday_, she mused. Suddenly, Serena suspected the long speeches were finished because Artemis had risen and the crowd had silenced.

"What's happening now?" Serena whispered.

"The processional is about to begin," Luna hissed.

Serena sat back and waited. Artemis cleared his throat and announced, "Presenting her Royal Highness the Princess Amalia of the Enlightened Kingdom of Mercury!"

A small processional of flautists proceeded up the plush purple carpet and parted to reveal the Princess. She was seventeen, but she looked far younger. Sapphire ringlets framed her angelic face and she blinked her baby blue eyes rapidly as they tried to adjust to the bright lights. She wore a pale azure gown that clung to her slight frame at the top before cascading down and behind her. When Princess Mercury reached the altar, she bowed slowly and gestured behind her. Two of her attendants were carrying a gilded crystal trunk engraved with the symbol of the Kingdom of Mercury. She nodded and the attendants opened the trunk. Serena leaned forward to see.

"The first edition of the Hermeian Encyclopaedias for the Royal Archives," said the Princess.

Serenity smiled and nodded her approval. Serena mimicked her mother's movements even though the prospect of such thick and dusty-smelling books bored her to tears.

When Princess Mercury had occupied the first throne in the vaulted gallery behind Serenity's altar, Artemis announced: "Presenting Her Royal Highness the Princess Rayana of the Holy Kingdom of Mars!"

No instrumentalists preceded the Princess Mars, but no fewer than thirty monks chanting a monophonic liturgy entered the palace in two equal lines. Chills ran down Serena's spine as the haunting melody echoed throughout the halls. When the monks reached the center of the room, they separated forming two walls. Serena gasped audibly when she beheld Princess Mars. Luna shot her a reproaching glare. But Serena couldn't help it. She had never seen anything like her. Her shimmering ebony hair fell around her body like a cloak. She didn't wear a gown, but a fiery red robe with purple trim emblazoned with the symbol of Mars. Serena had heard rumors of the Princess's amethyst eyes, but she couldn't see for herself as the Princess Mars refused to meet her gaze. Serena knew better than to be offended for she, as well as all the royals, were well-acquainted with Martian traditions. They would be bent for no one. By the time the monks had finished their chant, Princess Mars was before Serenity. She fell into a low bow and when she rose, she gestured to her attendants behind her.

"A replica of the tapestry of Apollo that hangs in our sacred temple," she murmured softly.

"Thank you, Princess," said Serenity regally. "Blessed art the Holy Kingdom of Mars."

Eyes still lowered, Princess Mars nodded and took her place in the throne next to Princess Mercury.

_Wow_, Serena thought. _They really do take the Scrolls seriously!_ Serena was dying to turn around and look at the Princesses sitting next to each other in the gallery. Their two Kingdoms could not have been more different. She wondered what they would have to say to each other.

"Presenting His Royal Highness the Prince Endymion of the Temperate Kingdom of Earth!"

A sudden triumphant shout from what seemed to be the horn section of a marching band clattered throughout the halls. Serena straightened up in her seat. _So let's see what all the trouble has been about! _she thought eagerly. When the trumpets ceased, Serena got a good look at the Earth Prince. She knew he was about her age, but he looked so much older. His crisp grayish blue eyes looked as though they were windows into a soul that had experienced much beyond his years. He had a somewhat ruddy complexion, like one who enjoyed the sun and outdoor pursuits. His jet black hair was cut cleanly just above his ear and he wore a black uniform complete with a cape that flowed outward from his broad, even shoulders. But Serena could barely look past his expression. His face was smoldering with ire as if he were being raked across a patch of hot coals. Serena blushed as he glared at her and wondered why he was so unhappy to be there.

"A vase encrusted with the finest Earth gemstones," said Prince Endymion coldly as he laid the golden cup at the feet of Serenity. "And roses from my mother's personal garden."

Serena stared agog at the vase. It was engraved with the symbol of Earth and embossed with stones the likes of which she'd never seen.

"I've never seen its equal," Serena said trying her best to muster her most stately tone.

The Prince mustered a thin-lined smile and took his place in the vaulted gallery.

"Presenting Her Royal Highness the Princess Litania of the Citadel Kingdom of Jupiter!"

Serena grinned as sixteen uniformed drummers marched into the hall tapping out the Jupiterian royal cadence. _Now this is what I'm talking about_, she thought. She tried not to be too obvious as she looked over the soldiers. _Who could resist a man in uniform?_

When they had finished the cadence, the Princess Jupiter confidently marched to the front and bowed. Serena knew that the Princess was only twelve, and the youngest of the six, but she was at least a head taller than Serena. Less shocking than her height, though, was her garb. While the other royals were dressed in their finest attire, the Princess Jupiter stood before them in a military dress green uniform. But Serena had known in advance that the Kingdom of Jupiter took its military responsibilities very seriously. So seriously in fact, that the Princess was being groomed to lead squadrons into battle. Serena had a hard time imagining this child, striking as she was, fighting in a war.

Princess Jupiter stepped back as her attendant laid a long, narrow box at the foot of the Queen. It was opened to reveal a heavy saber of steel. Etched into the blade were the words: _Death before Dishonor_.

"The Jupiterian sidearm," she declared proudly. She bent down to pick up the blade and laid it flat across her palms. She knelt before Serena and, eyes shining, said: "I swear my life, Princess."

Serena was taken aback. She felt genuinely touched. She stood and took a few steps toward the kneeling child, took her face in her hands, and gently kissed the symbol of Jupiter emblazoned in green on her forehead.

Princess Jupiter blushed at the unprecedented display of affection by the Moon Princess. She got to her feet and quickly took her place next to the Prince of Earth. When Serena was again seated next to her mother, the Queen reached over and placed her hand over her daughter's. Serena looked up to find Serenity smiling down at her.

"Presenting Her Royal Highness the Princess Minerva of the Enchanted Kingdom of Venus!"

Serena thought she noticed her mother stiffen. But she brushed it off when the hall filled with the sounds of a symphony of violins. When the Princess Venus entered the hall, Serena felt a surge of chills race up her spine. The Princess seemed to radiate a soft orange glow as she floated toward the throne. _No wonder they call her the angel of the Inner Worlds_, Serena thought. When the Princess got within five feet of the altar, Serena's eyes widened. _She really _does_ look a lot like me_, she thought. _But she's lighter. Her eyes, hair, skin. She glows like the sun._

Her amber gown clung to her young body accentuating her new curves. _She's my age_, Serena thought, _but she moves like a grown woman_.

Princess Venus fluttered her pale blue eyes and descended into a slow bow. When she rose, she stepped aside while her attendants laid spools of fine silk on the floor before Serenity.

"The finest Venusian silk embroidered with the family crest," said the Princess Venus.

When the princesses and prince were seated in the marble thrones each marked with the symbol of the respective home world, Serena noticed that they looked off-center. The castle hadn't been renovated since before the Great War and thrones etched with the planetary symbols of Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto still occupied much of the space in the vaulted gallery.


	17. Chapter 16: Power

**CHAPTER SIXTEEN:** Power

Darien felt humiliated as he sat in the box reserved for young monarchs in the Imperial Arena. He wasn't alone, but he might as well have been. Serena sat several feet from him, but didn't acknowledge his presence. The other young monarchs were gone, likely preparing for the event, as they were the stars. Darien thought about leaving his seat and sitting in the throne reserved for the Princess Mercury, which was situated directly to the right of where Serena sat, but he thought the better of it. Clearly, the Moon Princess was not interested in his company. She sat still as a statute staring forward, as if utterly unaware that the Earth Prince was even there.

Darien sighed and peered over the white stone railing in front of him where he could see Queen Serenity sitting regally in her throne with her two assistants, Luna and Artemis, to her right and left, respectively. It seemed that all the subjects of the Moon Kingdom were gathered in the Arena for the Luminare. He could also tell that many had traveled from the nearer worlds of Earth and Venus to attend. He recognized the ruddy complexions of his Earth countrymen as well as the light-eyed, fair-haired Venusian subjects.

Darien, of course, had never attended Luminare before, the last one having occurred long before he was born. Luminare was one of many ceremonies from which he had found himself excluded ever since arriving on the Moon several days earlier. But Darien didn't have much time to feel sorry for himself as the chatter in the box below him came to a conclusion. It would be starting soon.

An awed hush fell over the crowd as Serenity stood to address them: "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Imperial Arena for the Luminare celebration!" Applause echoed throughout the Arena in response. "As I'm sure anyone versed in the history of our civilization knows, the House of Serenity has hosted Luminare since just after the Great War. It has been a symbol of our emergence from the dark times as well as an exhibition of the strength we retain despite our separation from our sister worlds. And so it is with great pride and honor that I welcome the Royal Court to the Moon to showcase their talents!"

And with that, five gates on the ground level of the Arena opened at once. Four princesses stepped forward and the Arena erupted in thunderous applause. Darien cringed as his eyes immediately went to the gate with Earth's flag hanging over it. Of course, no one emerged.

The four princesses strode to the center of the Arena and formed a small circle. They joined hands and bowed their heads. Darien could see that Raye was speaking, but her words were inaudible. After a few moments passed, the circle broke and Raye, Lita, and Amy took several steps back behind Mina. The Venusian princess raised one delicate hand in the air and extended her forefinger as if she were pointing at some invisible target in the sky. Her eyes narrowed and her hair began to waft even though there was no breeze. Darien stared, enraptured, as a brilliant yellow light burst forward from her finger and shot high in the sky in a straight line before exploding into a million drops of molten fire that rained down onto the sandy floor of the Arena. They fell in a circle around the princesses sizzling as they hit the cool sand. "Wow," Darien breathed. He was still cross that he was excluded from the show, even though he knew it was no fault of his own, but he was unable to contain to his awe. It was truly a rare occasion that anyone got to see the princesses show off in this manner. Usually, the only time they ever unleashed their powers was in the face of mortal danger. Thankfully, the planets had known only peace since the end of the Great War.

"That's the Venus meteor shower," came a small voice to his left. Darien whipped his head to the side, shocked that Serena had spoken to him. But she didn't turn to face him; her eyes remained trained on the spectacle taking place in the Arena.

Amy stepped forward and brought her hands together in front of her cupped in a bowl shape as if she were holding them under an invisible fountain expelling some sweet liquid. In a flash, she tossed her hands in the air and an explosion of crystalline bubbles filled the Arena. The crowd reacted in a chorus of _ahhs_ as the bubbles hung suspended in the air, glittering and casting rainbows as the sun hit them.

Darien decided he'd had enough of protocol for one lifetime and took Serena's words as an invitation. Shrouded by the fog, he gathered his cape and edged his way over to Amy's seat and dropped himself in next to Serena. The fog was still so thick he had to squint to see her. Even then it was a struggle, but he could just make out the outline of her face, which was still facing away from him.

"So," said Darien. "How come you're not down there?"

"Down there?" Serena asked softly, as if she hadn't understood his meaning.

"Yeah," Darien replied. "Down there showing off. You've got the Light too, don't you?"

Serena opened her mouth to respond, but was cut off by a brilliant fireworks display shooting out from the tips of Raye's fingers, which were clasped together in the shape of a gun. The bubbles were instantly vaporized and Darien thought he detected a vague flush in the cheeks of the princess sitting next to him.

"Well, of course I do," said Serena, turning this time, so that he could see the crescent moon adorning her forehead and proving her point. "But I would never use it."

Darien raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Why not?"

"It isn't…" the Moon Princess seemed to be choosing her words carefully. "It isn't – proper."

Darien cleared his throat and tried to muster all the diplomacy he could. "Forgive me, Princess. As you know, I wasn't raised in royal customs. I'm learning as I go here. But can you tell me why it isn't proper for the Moon Princess to use the Light?"

….

The truth was, she didn't know why she had never been taught to use her own Light. She had once broached the subject with Luna when was she was seven years old and thumbing through a large, fully illustrated copy of _The Dawn of Serenity_. In it she saw a young woman, clearly an ancestor wearing the signature hairstyle of the Moon Kingdom, pictured holding the Imperium Silver Crystal suspended in mid-air between her palms. She had a solemn look on her face and the caption read: _Serenity the First banishes the Dark One to the Other World_.

"Luna?" the young princess had asked. "When will I learn to use my Light?"

Luna tsked and replied, "You will never need to use your Light, my dear."

"But why?"

"Because," said Luna smiling as she tousled Serena's hair, "you have four guardians who will protect you from harm."

"But what if they're not around?"

"Serena, believe me when I tell you this: there is not a single person in our kingdom who would not lay down her life for you. You are quite safe."

At seven years old, Serena could not fully articulate to Luna then that that was not exactly what she was concerned about. She didn't fear for her own life. But something in her had told her she might someday be responsible for protecting others.

But this was nothing she could explain to the Earth prince who sat next to her, impertinently occupying the throne of Mercury.

"Clearly there is much you need to learn about our ways," Serena replied. She hoped her voice contained more conviction than she felt. Luckily, the sky darkened, and she could tell the Prince's attentions were focused elsewhere. The crowd gasped as a low rumble of thunder shook the foundations of the Arena. Storms didn't occur on the Moon and unless a resident frequented Earth or, less likely, had business on Jupiter, it was unlikely she had ever seen or heard one. Lightning ripped across the sky and rushed toward the center of the Arena where the youngest of the royals accepted the charge into her own body and pushed it out again through her fingertips. The crowd roared appreciatively.

"That looks painful," Darien remarked, as Lita staggered backward a few steps after expelling the powerful charge.

"It's very painful," Serena murmured. Darien turned to face her. Her eyes had welled with tears.

….

Darien sat at the desk in his office and began to scrawl a note:

_Dear Beryl,_

_I'm sorry it's been awhile since my last letter. (If you even care.) I've been stuck on the Moon for all these ceremonies that have little if anything to do with me. You should see the way people fall all over themselves for these princesses. Everyone just seems to tolerate me because I guess they think they have to. I don't want this job any more than they seem to want me to have it. I can't wait to get back to Earth. As soon as I get there, I'm coming to look for you. You better have a good reason for never writing me. I miss you. Everyone here is so uptight._

_Talk soon,_

_Darien_

He reached into his inside jacket pocket and withdrew a single rose he had removed from the bouquet his mother sent for the gifting ceremony and stuffed it awkwardly into the envelope. Once it was sealed, he pressed the call button in the wall next to his bed. Moments later, Kunzite appeared at his door.

"Yes, Highness?" he asked, bowing his head slightly.

"Please send this out with the courier at first light," said Darien, handing the envelope to his advisor.

"Of course, Highness."

And Kunzite was gone. Darien unhooked the clasps at each of his shoulders and his cape slid noiselessly down his body. He collapsed face-first onto the plush bedding with a sigh.


	18. Chapter 17: Secrets

**CHAPTER SEVENTEEN:** Secrets

Beryl's stomach was in knots as it was every week when she made the short journey from the house to the letterbox at the end of the drive. Would there be a letter from him? Would today be the day he wrote? Would he finally put her out of her misery and deliver the news she dreaded but knew would someday come – that he was to wed some foreign dignitary? Beryl nervously twisted a lock of red hair around her forefinger and chewed her bottom lip. She reached for the letterbox handle and pulled it down slowly. There! A letter! And it bore the official seal of Earth! Beryl eagerly plucked the envelope from the box and scanned the front.

With a frustrated slam, Beryl closed the letterbox and trudged dejectedly back into the house. It wasn't from him. It technically wasn't even for her. Not yet anyway. Beryl felt as though she were on the verge of tears. Darien had been gone for months and still hadn't written. She thought time and time again about throwing caution to the wind, packing a few belongings and going to Hadean City to knock on the palace door if that's what she had to do to see him again. But Menachis would find her, would drag her back and make her sorry if she ever dared leave him. She remembered with a shudder the time she was late in bringing home his favorite horse from the farrier. The previous night's rainstorm had flooded a large portion of the main road and Beryl had had to find another way around. She came in and he immediately flew at her and in a drunken rage beat her savagely with the riding crop. Her left eye remained swollen shut for a week. She didn't let Darien see her like that. When he came to the house to see if she would come out to play, she ordered him away from behind the cottage walls. He'd shrugged, attributed her disagreeableness to women's troubles and resolved to come back another day.

Once inside, Beryl immediately climbed the rickety wooden ladder that led up to her lofted room. The rungs creaked with age, but supported her as they had for so many years. Once she reached the top, she tossed herself onto her straw mattress and examined the front of the envelope. It read: _Maiden Beryl, daughter of Helia, daughter of Opal – To Be Opened When She Has Reached the Age of Majority_.

Beryl scoffed when she read the return address. This letter wasn't supposed to be delivered until her eighteenth birthday, which was still a few days away. But Hadean House was nothing if not efficient. She tore open the letter and began to read:

_To the Maiden, Miss Beryl, daughter of Helia, daughter of Opal:_

_ Now that you have attained the age of majority in your district, you may return to Hadean House to collect the estate of your testator and guardian, Opal of the Permian District. _

_ Please make every effort to collect your belongings in a timely fashion for we cannot hold them for longer than one year. After one year has elapsed, they will be destroyed in accordance with Property Retention Policy #423-1(b)._

_ Kind regards,_

_ Drydia_

_ Director, The Office for Orphan Affairs_

Beryl wondered what the letter could have possibly meant by "estate." Could she be heir to some vast property somewhere? Perhaps, like Darien, some mysterious fortune awaited her. Beryl laughed aloud at the thought. _Still_, she mused, _I wonder what I'll find._

….

"Ughhhh," Mina moaned as a bevy of shirtless attendants soothed her arms in aloe and ice. The Luminare had ended days ago, but every part of her throbbed.

"This is a terrible practice, if I may say so, Highness," said Ravi. Mina lay facedown with each arm extended and Ravi was crouched over her, straddling her burning body between his knees as he gently rubbed a cooling mixture of aloe and mint cream into her back.

"I agree with you, Ravi," said Mina, her voice muffled by her pillow. "But it's important to show the people that they are well protected."

"Damn the people!" came a shout from the bathroom that sat adjacent to Mina's room.

Mina managed a smile. "Don't blaspheme, Lita, what would the Princess Mars say?"

"Damn Mars!" Lita shouted again.

"Poor girl," Mina said, returning her attentions to Ravi. "She's been retching all morning. We all handle it differently."

"Speaking of Mars, how is she handling the aftermath of Luminare?" asked Ravi, continuing to rub Mina's burns with cream.

"No one knows," said Mina. "She won't come out of her rooms and she's dismissed all her attendants. Apparently it isn't proper for anyone to see the Princess Mars in such a – a _human_ state." Mina's tone was clearly mocking, so Ravi felt it was appropriate to chuckle.

"I think I'm done for now," said Lita, crawling out of the bathroom. She climbed into the bed next to Mina and moaned into a pillow. The two princesses could not have been more different, but had somehow formed a bond in the past few weeks on the Moon. Mina found the child princess almost like a male and therefore felt comfortable in her company whereas Lita found the Venusian seductress to be everything she hoped to become someday. They also found they shared a mutual love of chatter, a trait not shared by their sister princesses. Amy spent nearly every waking hour in the laboratories below ground working on some secret experiment, while Raye never seemed to want anything to do with any of them. Darien was another matter entirely. He vacillated between charming and friendly at times, cool and standoffish at others. The girls didn't really know what to make of him yet.

"When do we have to be somewhere?" Lita asked. Her skin had taken on a pallor a few shades lighter than the emerald of her eyes.

"Serena is supposed to give us a tour of the Armory after dinner," Mina replied.

"Oh no, don't mention dinner!" Lita wailed. She leapt from the bed and raced back to the bathroom just in time to heave what remained of the contents of her stomach.

….

Beryl awoke the morning of her eighteenth birthday almost sick with excitement. Mechanis would be gone all day, at the pub no doubt, so Beryl would be free to make the half day's journey to Hadean City without fear of interference. She readied the horse and began her trip with a full heart. _Finally_, she thought, _I'll have some answers!_

The sun was high in the sky when Beryl finally reached the outskirts of Hadean City. The downtown square was packed with people so she thought it best to stable the horse before proceeding further. She made the rest of the journey on foot hurrying through the town square past the merchants and beggars and kept her head low. She passed a market full of a vendors selling fresh fruit and vegetables and meats, a sheep shearer advertising a special – two shorn sheep for the price of one – and a fish monger haggling with a customer over the price of a freshly-caught trout. She squeezed through the crowds but stopped suddenly when she felt a hand grip her arm.

"The end of days is nigh! Prepare ye for the reckoning!" shouted a toothless beggar, holding out his palm expectantly. Beryl cringed and shook herself free. As she hurried away, she could still hear him calling to her: "Heed the Scrolls! The end of days is nigh!"

Beryl shuddered and wondered when Earth started to teem with religious zealots. She wished they could all be carted off to Mars to live happily together shrouded in their own mutual delusion. It wasn't that Beryl didn't believe in a higher power, but her life had left little space in her head and heart for faith. But she didn't have time to ponder the mysteries of the universe. She was more concerned with her own spotty past. And she had reached the front gates of Hadean House.

….

Beryl took a deep breath and turned the brass lock and lifted the heavy lid of the trunk. Drydia had been in her office and had personally seen Beryl to the vault where all the possessions of orphans were kept until they became of age. She had given Beryl a key to a lock box and left her alone. Dust and the smell of crisp, aged papers assaulted her as she peered into the box wondering what it was about to reveal about her past. She glanced quickly around the empty room to be sure again that she was alone before she started sifting through the papers. To her dismay, all she found were old tax notices and liens against property she supposed her family once owned, as well as her mother's and grandmother's death certificates. She was about to slam the lid shut in frustration, when a cream-colored envelope, contrasting with the drab gray of the others, suddenly caught her eye. She pulled it free and drew in a sudden inhalation of breath when she saw that it was addressed to her grandmother from her mother. The return address was the Moon Palace.

Beryl's eyes scanned furiously over the parchment, which was browned with age, and read:

_Dear Mother:_

_ I hope this letter reaches you in time. I fear it will not be long before our lines of communication are cut. All is astir on the Moon with the birth of the Moon Princess. It is truly a joyous occasion, one which cannot be matched in our lifetime. Give my darling Beryl two kisses for me._

_ Fondly,_

_ Helia_

Beryl felt a sudden rage grip her from the inside. This was it? This was all she had from her mother? Five whole sentences of a letter that barely said anything? Beryl crumpled the letter into a ball and hurled it to the ground. She couldn't stop the tears from pouring down her face as she pulled her shawl around her shoulders. She stood up so quickly that her chair came crashing noisily to the ground and stomped toward the door. As her hand, shaking, gripped the door handle, there it was again. The voice.

_Stop_, it commanded.

Beryl froze.

_Read it again._

Beryl turned and her eyes fell to the floor where the crumpled piece of parchment lay. Slowly, she crossed the room and bent down to pick it up. She righted the chair and sat down again. Slowly unfurling the letter, Beryl felt herself slowly calming. Her angry resolve slowly receded. She tried her best to flatten the letter against the table. She read it again. And again. And again.

It wasn't until the twelfth reading that she began to notice little things about the way the letters were printed. Beryl was unfamiliar with her mother's handwriting, but she thought the placement of certain letters looked – off. Beryl looked closer. What at first looked like random ink spillage started to look like very deliberately placed dots below certain letters. The first was under the capital 'M' in 'Mother.' Beryl grabbed the fountain pen from the inkwell and looked around for a piece of parchment. Finding none, she dipped the pen into the ink and let it hover over the wooden table. She wrote out the letter 'M.' Then she noticed the next letter that seemed to be underscored by a tiny black dot. An "I." She dutifully copied each marked letter until there in the table, in dripping black ink, was one word: _MILLENNIUM_.

Beryl furrowed her brow. "Millennium?" she asked aloud.

_Read it again_, said the voice.

Once again, Beryl focused on the letter. "Millennium," she murmured as she read the words. After five minutes had gone by and Beryl still had no idea what message she was supposed to have received, she stood up and crossed the room to the window and leaned against the sill. She surveyed the crowd below her. She could retrace the path she had worn to get to Hadean House. Past the market, the sheep shearer, the fish monger, the zealot – the zealot!

Suddenly, Beryl's eyes flew open and she raced back to the table.

"It means the Scroll!" she cried. The Millennium Scroll. There was something in the Millennium Scroll that her mother was attempting to draw her attention to.

"But what?" she asked the empty room.

_Read it again._

Beryl dropped her gaze to the letter. "…reach you in time…lines of communication…Moon Princess…one which cannot be matched…two kisses for me…" Beryl pursed her lips and tried to concentrate harder. "…Moon Princess…one which cannot…two kisses…one…two – one, two…"

Beryl gasped. She looked to the wooden table and completed what she had already begun to write: _MILLENNIUM 1:2._


	19. Chapter 18: Vision

**CHAPTER EIGHTEEN:** Vision

_Dear Darien,_

_It's been weeks since I've seen your face. You haven't written or visited and I don't know why. I don't know why I've bothered to keep writing. I know they're forwarding your mails to the Moon Palace because I see the royal courier's transport lift off at midday every day. That's right, I've moved to Hadean City. My eighteenth birthday was last week (thanks for your card, by the way) and I left the Permian District. I'm renting a little apartment above a tavern where I've gotten a job as a barmaid. _

_Life has gotten much better since I moved out. Mechanis took it about as well as could be expected, but I stood up to him and held my ground. I'm feeling much more confident these days._

_I want to tell you something. I wanted to tell you this in person, because I know how this will sound, but I haven't heard from you. _

_I've been hearing a voice and I think it's my mother. I know exactly what face you're making right now and I want you to stop it. I'm not crazy. It's not a voice in my head. It's very much outside myself. I've heard her speaking to me before, but once I turned eighteen, I started hearing her all the time. I think she has some kind of unfinished business and I think it has to do with the circumstances surrounding her death. Something doesn't add up. I read her last letter to my grandmother and it was almost as if she knew she was going to die. _

_I must find out what happened all those years ago. If you're really a friend, the friend I always thought you were, you will help me._

_Beryl_

Beryl gripped the fountain pen so tightly in her fist, her knuckles turned white. She felt a twinge of remorse over the tone of her latest letter to Darien. But her patience was wearing thin. Her sadness over his lack of response was slowly ebbing and being replaced by bitter anger.

_You don't need him._

The pen snapped in her fingers.

"And here is where the weapons locker where the Royal Guard keeps its stores of blades, rifles, and other military paraphernalia," said Serena softly, gesturing to a small room off to the right of the corridor. She seemed about as thrilled to be giving the tour as her Court seemed in taking it. With the exception of Lita, who wanted to pore over the weapons and know every detail of their manufacturing, the Court paid polite attention, but their thoughts were clearly elsewhere. But Queen Serenity felt it was very important that the Court knew every nook and cranny in the Moon Palace in case there was ever cause for them to return to defend it. Darien felt, as usual, that his presence was wholly unnecessary.

Serena continued down the long corridor until she reached a steel door. She let her hand hover over a panel installed just to the right of the handle. A low hum emanated from the panel as it scanned her palm until a click sounded and the door was unlocked.

Darien stepped forward. "Allow me, Princess," he said gruffly, yanking on the steel door with all his might. He was able to pull it open only a few inches before the door slammed shut.

"What the—?"

"There's a resistance field," Serena remarked simply.

"'Scuse me," said Lita, elbowing her way to the front. She reached for the door handle and pulled it out with one hand as effortlessly as if she were merely moving a lock of her own hair across her forehead. "Go ahead," she said, and one by one, Serena and the Court passed through the doorway.

Darien scowled as he passed by the young Princess.

"We have these all over the Citadel," said Lita. "I'm just used to them is all."

Darien didn't know what bothered him more: the fact that a child bested him in physical strength in front of the leaders of the kingdom or that she now felt the need to soothe his battered ego. But he didn't dwell long for as soon as Lita closed the door behind them, all he could focus on was the brilliant source of light in the center of the room.

There were no lights, but none were necessary. The six monarchs encircled the shimmering Imperium Silver Crystal like the planets around the sun.

"Only six other living souls have seen what you are now seeing," said Serena softly. "Our mothers. And by the will of the Gods, none of us will ever see it again. It is both our civilization's greatest gift and greatest weapon."

Raye didn't move, didn't blink. She was afraid that if she closed her eyes even for an instant, the Crystal would disappear. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever laid eyes on.

"The divine Light," she murmured.

"Pardon me, Princess?" Serena asked.

Raye didn't meet Serena's eyes when she began to quote Scripture: "'Then out of the dark, swirling depths of the Sea of Serenity, a divine Crystal emerged. And It was a sacred Gift from the Gods.' Antiquity, chapter one, verses three and four."

"Thank you, Princess," said Serena. "That was lovely."

Lita was chattering a mile a minute as they filed out of the Armory and spilled out onto the veranda on the south wall of the Palace. "If there ever was another war again—"

"Gods forbid!" Serena interjected.

"Gods forbid," Lita repeated hurriedly. "But if there ever was another war again, those old model Hawk-6 canons you have down there would be pretty much useless. We're building artillery on Jupiter that's at least four generations beyond that. Not that it matters what kind of weaponry you have because if a Saturnian fighter came anywhere near the Armistice Line—"

"Gods forbid!" said Serena again.

"Gods forbid," Lita repeated. "But if they did, we'd smoke him so fast he'd be nothing but a few flaming scraps of metal by the time he reached Martian airspace."

Serena smiled. "That's very reassuring, Princess."

"But let's say he did get into Martian territory!"

"Gods forbid!" Raye interrupted.

Lita sighed exasperatedly. "Yes, yes, Gods forbid! But even if they did get into Martian territory, we've got outposts set up on both Martian moons. No fewer than ten thousand soldiers armed to the teeth on each one."

Raye frowned. "Yes, Princess, I've been meaning to speak with you about that. I feel that your continued military presence on Mars, which is wholly committed to peace, is—"

Suddenly, she stopped speaking. Raye's eyes turned dark and vacant and it was as if she were no longer there. Her body remained but her mind seemed elsewhere. Slowly, she turned to face Serena. And then in a low, ominous tone, she began to speak: "Your time in the kingdom is limited, Princess. I see bloodshed. I see pain. I see terror and destruction."

Lita stiffened and cast a quick glance at Serena. Her eyes grew wide and fearful as she processed the words falling from Raye's lips. Lita looked warily back at Raye and slowly moved forward, strategically placing herself between the two. She gripped the hilt of her sword and slowly drew it from the sheath on her waist. Breathing rapidly, but controlled, Lita said, "Careful, Princess. That sounds like a threat."

Raye did not answer her. Her eyes rolled back in her head and she continued, her tone taking on an added urgency, "You will never sit at the throne of Serenity! You will sire no heirs!"

"Lita?" Serena asked fearfully. She trembled as she peered at the dark-haired princess from behind the towering guardian in front of her. "Lita," she whispered again, gently touching the soldier princess's back. "Why is she saying such things?"

"Princess Mars, I'm warning you," said Lita, hoping her voice didn't betray the sickness she felt in her gut.

Raye ignored her. Her eyes grew wild and her voice took on an otherworldly tone: "Princess Serenity, your Light will be extinguished along with your life!"


	20. Chapter 19: Research

**CHAPTER NINETEEN:** Research

"The usual?" Beryl asked. He lifted his delicate face from his arms, which were folded on top of one another across the sticky wooden surface of the bar. He nodded grimly. He came about the same time every evening looking weary and worn from work. Beryl didn't know where he worked; the man didn't say much and she didn't want to pry. From his attire, she figured he worked in government. But the sadness in his eyes betrayed a deep wound to the soul, one he tried to drown in the sweet, syrupy brandy she served him again and again.

"Want to talk about it?" she tried as she filled his cup. He looked startled that she was trying to engage him. Then his eyes lowered, glistening as they brimmed with tears.

"I lost someone very dear to me," he whispered softly.

Beryl's face softened. She wiped her hands on her apron and placed them over his hands. "I understand what you're going through."

He met her gaze and held it for a moment before breaking away. "It's my fault she's gone. And I can't get her out of my head."

Beryl squeezed his hands. "I know what it's like to be plagued by a death you don't understand."

"She trusted me," he went on. "I was supposed to keep her safe. She should never have been there in the first place. She didn't want to be up on that horse. I made her do it."

Beryl looked away. "I don't have any answers."

And then the familiar voice. _Not yet. But you will._

….

Lita's heart raced as her left arm shielded Serena and her right had raised her blade to Raye's throat. But suddenly, Raye's eyes were a glittering lavender again. She blinked a few times and gasped when she noticed Lita hulking toward her, her sword drawn, eyes wild.

"Princess Jupiter," said Raye, in a cautious tone. "Why have you drawn your weapon on me?"

Lita crinkled her brow in confusion. "You—you made a threat on Serena's life."

Raye looked aghast. "I did no such thing!" she protested. "How dare you?"

Lita looked at the others whose faces wore expressions of confusion she assumed mirrored her own.

"Princess," said Serena, in a small voice, still behind Lita's arm. "Don't you remember what you said only moments ago?"

Raye looked thoughtful. "I remember I was about to discuss the demilitarization of the moons of my home world and then—"

They leaned forward slightly and raised their eyebrows, expectantly.

"Nothing," Raye concluded. "I'm afraid I sometimes have spells like that. I fade in and out of consciousness."

Amy raised her eyebrows and said, "This wasn't a loss of consciousness, Princess. You spoke clearly and passionately about Princess Serena's death."

Raye gasped. Immediately she fell to the floor and prostrated herself before Serena. "I swear, Your Highness, I never meant to offend! I have no recollection of any such treason!"

Serena gently moved Lita's protective arm away and knelt down in front of Raye. She touched the top of her head softly and said, "There is no reason for the Princess of the Holy Kingdom to kneel. Please rise, Princess, we are equals."

Raye lifted her head. Lita stared, agog, as Serena kissed the symbol of Mars that adorned the Princess's forehead. Serena put her arm around Raye, who looked grief-stricken and ashamed, and led her to a private chamber. It was clear to the others they weren't to follow.

"What just happened?" Lita asked, incredulously.

"She looked possessed," Darien remarked.

….

"When it happens," said Raye softly, "I feel as though I'm not there. Some other force has taken over my mind and body. And I don't know what I'm saying."

"It troubles me," said Serena, lowering her gaze to the floor. The two princesses were kneeled before a roaring fire in an old antechamber near Serena's library. "You spoke of blood and pain. Of the fall of the line of Serenity."

Raye appeared wracked with woe and shame. "Highness, I know nothing of what I spoke! Please do not interpret my words in my other state as any intimation of a threat on your reign by the Kingdom of Mars!"

Serena placed her hand on Raye's knee. "I know the Kingdom of Mars disagrees with many of the policies that come from the Moon, but neither my mother nor I believe any threat exists from the Kingdom of Mars. We know that you are loyal friends to the Inner Alliance."

Raye seemed somewhat relieved.

"But I do take your – visions, shall we call them? – seriously, Princess. I would like to know more about what you see."

Raye tousled a lock of her ebony hair. Serena could see she was uncomfortable. "I'm afraid I cannot tell you more, Princess," she said wistfully. "I lose myself completely when it happens."

Serena turned her gaze toward the fire. The stone masonry around the mantle depicted images from the Book of Antiquity. Serenity the First reaching into the Sea and retrieving the Crystal, heads of the Nine Tribes meeting in council and greeting each other in peace for the first time, banishment of the Dark One to the Other World.

"Perhaps you could channel your vision into a conduit," said Serena suddenly, her eyes locked on the fire. "Remove it from yourself so that you can view it consciously."

Raye followed Serena's eyes to the fire, grasping her meaning. "I can try, Princess."

….

The heavy book fell with a thud to the table coating Beryl in a cloud of dust. She sneezed and rubbed her eyes, silently cursing herself for spending her one afternoon off in a dirty, old library on the outskirts of Hadean City. Religion having recently come back into fashion, the librarian happened to have just received a shipment from the Martian missionaries stationed on Earth of early translations of the Scrolls.

Beryl reached into her jacket pocket and retrieved her mother's letter. She lay it flat on the table and opened the book of Millennium. It smelled like must and aged wood and reminded her of the days when Mechanis, sober and in need of absolution, would drag her to the local worship house and she'd be forced to sit on a hard floor while the Martian cleric-in-training lambasted them from the pulpit. She thumbed to chapter one and began to read quietly aloud:

"_All will live in peace and tranquility until the outcast returns to her ancestral home. And when the curse of the Gemini revisits the Moon, the end is nigh. And by and by each Goddess will falter—_." Beryl closed her eyes in silent frustration.

_Look closer_, breathed the voice.

"I am looking," Beryl snapped impatiently. "But this is one of the lost chapters. If what I need was lost in that stupid fire in the Temple of Apollo then I swear—"

_Look closer!_

The voice was getting louder. Beryl glanced over her shoulder to make sure she really was alone. She turned back to the page. She focused her attention to the specific verse called out in her mother's letter:

"_And when the curse of the Gemini revisits the Moon, the end is nigh._ Curse of the Gemini, what's that? Is that it?"

_To get the true answer, you must look back._

Beryl clenched her fist. "Could you please be more specific?"

_Back to the beginning._

Beryl slammed the book closed, emitting another cloud of dust. She heaved the book into her arms and made her way to the stairwell.

"Do you need any help with that?" came a voice just to her left. She looked up to see a tall, slender man with hair the color of sun-warmed sand and eyes the color of the sea to match. Beryl smiled gratefully and handed him the heavy book. "Ah," he said, accepting the book and following her down the creaky wooden staircase. "A fellow theologian?"

Beryl managed a small laugh. "Not quite," she replied. "I'm just looking for something."

"School project?"

"Ah, no," said Beryl. "More of a personal research project."

"Well, perhaps I can help," he offered amiably. "I have a doctorate in theology. Is there something specific you're looking for?"

"Well," said Beryl. They had reached the bottom of the stairs. Beryl began to head toward the circulation desk and then thought the better of it and turned toward a corner table, isolated from the groups of secondary students, loudly studying for their university entrance exams. The man followed and gently placed the book on the table and slid into the seat across from Beryl. He has beautiful eyes, she thought. She blushed, suddenly embarrassed. "I'm, um, well, I have a sort of basic question about the Scrolls."

"Go ahead," he urged, smiling brightly.

Beryl turned to the verse and pointed. "That there. The 'curse of the Gemini.' What does that refer to?"

"Ah, yes of course," he said. Beryl got the distinct feeling this man felt a lot of pride in his being able to educate her. She found it slightly irritating. "The curse of the Gemini refers to an ancient interpretation of the origin of our civilization." Beryl nodded, but didn't reply. She hoped he would continue without a lot of prodding from her. "To really understand, you'll have to read the Book of Antiquity." At that, he stood and before Beryl knew it, he had disappeared into the stacks only to reemerge moments later holding yet another dusty old book. "Ah, this is the one," he said, smiling a smile of smug satisfaction. Beryl began to regret enlisting his help. He opened the book and turned to the first page. He scanned the text with his finger until coming to rest on the passage he was looking for. He met Beryl's eyes and flashed a quick grin. She smiled what she hoped appeared a grateful smile.

"See this part here?" he said, turning the book to an oblique so that Beryl could see. "This is the very beginning of the Scrolls. It tells how the Nine warring tribes found peace with one another and built the civilization we know today."

"Uh huh," said Beryl.

"I'm sure you know the basic story: Serenity the First finds the Imperium Silver Crystal in what we now know as the Sea of Serenity. She uses it to bring peace to the kingdom, but then the Dark One tries to take over, to steal the Crystal – because as we all know, it is the single greatest source of power in existence. Serenity banishes her to the Dark World and all is peaceful again."

"Sounds like a child's tale," Beryl muttered.

The man smiled. "Real or not, these books have exerted a powerful influence on our shared history."

"So what is this 'curse of the Gemini' interpretation you spoke of before?"

He nodded and drew her attention again to the book and read: "_'And though they were borne of the same body under the skies of Gemini, they divided the Kingdom between the faithful and the renegades_.'"

Beryl crinkled her brow in confusion. "The same body?"

His eyes sparked. "Exactly! Now, many reformed sects believe the body to be a metaphor for the Moon, indicating that the Dark One was a subject of the Moon Kingdom and turned on her own. Still, others believe that the body only indicates that the Dark One began as human as the rest of us before her thirst for power turned her into a demon. But there are some textualists out there who take the words quite literally."

Beryl thought it over for a moment. "A literal reading would mean that the first Serenity and the Dark One were…" She gasped and snapped her eyes to meet his.

"That's right," he said. "Born of the same mother. Twins."

"Huh!" she exclaimed.

"And so," he went on, turning back to the Millennium book, "if you put that interpretation together with this passage here…" He traced the verse with his finger as he spoke. "_'When the curse of the Gemini revisits the Moon, the end of days is nigh._'"

"A twinned birth signals the end of days?"

"So say the textualists," he said, nodding.

"Well, that's depressing," said Beryl. She was referring to the message of the passage, but also to her own conundrum. How did this knowledge help her understand her mother's death?

"I wouldn't fret," he said. His eyes had this way of making him look always as though he were on the verge of a laugh. "If there's been a twinned birth in the House of Serenity in our lifetime, it's the best kept secret in history!"

Beryl smiled. "Imagine that!" she laughed. But suddenly a pang of recognition shook her. She reached into her pocket and felt around for the letter. She closed her fist around it, but didn't retrieve it. She stood up abruptly. "I have to be getting back home now. But thank you so much for your help!"

"Not at all! And listen—" he said as he pulled a shiny, silver card from his jacket pocket. "If you ever need any additional help with your research, feel free to get in touch."

Beryl accepted the card and smiled gratefully. "Thank you so much!" She pocketed the card and headed for the door. Just before crossing the threshold, she suddenly found her manners and turned around. "Oh, name is Beryl, by the way," she said.

He smiled that brilliant smile and replied, "And I'm Jaedite."


	21. Chapter 20: Connection

**CHAPTER TWENTY:** Connection

Lita closed her eyes as she carefully unlatched the buttons and zippers holding her uniform to her body and let it slide down her long body. She climbed into the waiting bubble bath and let out an audible sigh as she sunk into the warm liquid and let it envelop her like a soothing cocoon. A slow smile spread across her face as she felt each of the day's worries drift out of her mind. One of the benefits to residing on the Moon was that they paid attention to little luxuries like free-standing ceramic bathtubs, a concept virtually unheard-of on her native Jupiter. Jupiterians valued utilitarianism above most else and a shower was merely a tool with which to wash off the day's grime. Lounging – indeed, relaxing – was something left for Illythian Festival, the annual Jupiterian holiday when most of the military flooded the other inner worlds to rest and spent time with their families – or in the case of the unattached personnel, to create families. It was a moderately large celebration on each of the inner worlds; even the government of Mars temporarily relaxed its anti-merrymaking ethos in order to accommodate the few Martian officers returning home. Lita figured they begrudgingly accepted the week of intrusion as a small price they felt they had to pay for their protection and she was happy to let them do it. Not that she ever had any intention of spending Illythian Festival on Mars. Venus was always the favorite destination, for obvious reasons. The Venusians went all out and began their preparations months in advance. Lita had once awkwardly stepped into a conversation between a group of male cadets describing – in lascivious detail – their exploits with a group of sisters from Euphoria, a notoriously amorous district just outside the Aphelion City.

_CHIRP! CHIRP! CHIRP!_

Lita snapped her head to attention and twisted in every direction looking for the source of the offending sound. She cursed under her breath and wished she were in grabbing distance of her sidearm so she could teach the intruder a swift lesson about interrupting her during bath time. She heaved herself out of the bath and, her body half coated in foam, tried to find the source of the sound.

_CHIRP! CHIRP! CHIRP!_

She thought she heard the sound coming from her armoire and so she tore the doors open and began tossing her belongings to the floor.

"What the—?"

"Lita?" came a husky, masculine voice.

Lita whirled around. "Who's that!" she demanded.

"Sorry, looks like I caught you at a bad time!"

She brought her hands self-consciously to her body in a vain effort to hide herself from the voice.

"WHO IS THAT?" she shouted. It was then she noticed the tiny silver ball on the floor. It must have fallen out of one of her pants pockets when she began tossing her things haphazardly to the floor. Lita picked the thing up and hurled it away from her as she scrambled to pull on whatever clothes happened to be in reach.

As soon as she was dressed (the jacket from a military dress uniform matched with a yellow silk skirt Mina had given her the day before), she crawled under her bed to retrieve the communicator device. She held it flat in her palm and stared at the blinking amber light.

"Um, sorry, about that," she muttered. Then she remembered she was supposed to feel violated. She donned her most stately tone and lashed: "Who are you and how dare you use a video conferencing communication program without my prior authorization?"

"Relax, Princess, I didn't see that much. It's not like you have much of anything anyway."

Lita's jaw fell open and her cheeks burned a hot crimson. "You—you," she stammered, tripping over her words.

"I'm just teasing," he said jovially. "How are you, Lita?"

"I'm—I'm—"

"Eloquent as ever, I see."

Lita regained her composure and replied: "What do you want, Titus?"

"So touchy!" he laughed. "I just wanted to see how things are on your side of the Line."

"Never been better!" Lita said. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm very busy!"

"Wait, wait, Lita!" Titus called, his voice suddenly serious. "I'm sorry. Look, I really do need to speak with you."

Lita frowned. "What about?"

Titus sighed. "Well, it's just…"

"Spit it out, Titus!"

"All right, all right! Calm down!" Titus sighed again and continued: "There's been some…I guess you could call it…unrest…in the outerbanks of the Plutonian region."

"Unrest?" said Lita, feigning interest as she climbed into her bed and set the communicator on a pillow on her stomach.

"I mean, there's always the usual complaints out there. I don't know how much you know about how our civilization is structured, but Pluto is basically responsible for mining all our natural resources. Fuel, energy, that sort of thing."

"Mmhmm."

"Anyway, the common theme with them has always been that they should have more power in the central government because they work the hardest, blah blah. But this is different. There have been…incidents."

"Like what kind of incidents?" Lita asked.

"Retaliatory power outages, that kind of thing."

"Huh?"

"They cut off the power supply to the Palace of Pluto for three whole days once."

Lita scoffed. "Sounds like you should go over there and let them know who's in charge."

"It's not that simple," said Titus, indignantly. "They're a very proud people. If we went over there and started throwing our weight around, they might interpret as an act of aggression."

"What's wrong with that?" Lita asked, coolly.

"No one wants a civil war."

Suddenly Lita was interested. "You think that's a possibility?"

It was several moments before Titus spoke again. Finally, he broke the silence: "Things aren't well on this side of the Line, Lita."

"How do you mean?"

Titus sighed. "My sister passed away two days ago."

Lita swallowed. She was never very good at comforting the grieving. "I'm very sorry to hear that."

"We all knew it was coming. We had a plan in place for my ascension. But the people haven't responded as we would have liked. No prince has ruled a heavenly body in our history. I just thought that with so much time to get used to the idea, the people would have, if not celebrated it, at least accepted the decision."

Lita frowned. "I actually understand," she said, thinking of her own civilization's reaction to the wayward Earth prince.

"The people just don't feel secure without a Light-bearer on the throne."

"Give them time to see you at the helm, they'll come around."

"Lita," said Titus, his tone taking on a new gravity. "There's been talk of reconciliation."

Lita's jaw dropped to her chest. She was speechless.

"Lita?" he asked. "Are you there?"

"Yes, yes, I'm here," she stammered. "I just—well, obviously I don't know what to say."

"I was hoping that by calling you, I could get a feel for the Inner Alliance's position on reconciliation."

"Well I—I'm really not the one to talk to about that. I haven't ascended yet. I have no real power to effect Inner Alliance policy."

"I understand," said Titus. "But perhaps you could float the idea among your royal counterparts."

LIta thought a moment. "Give me some time to think it over. It's no small thing to ask. I shouldn't even be speaking to you."

"But you took my communicator."

He had her there. She shouldn't have even been in his airspace. As the primary aggressor, she probably should have kept her mouth shut. "Well, it's too late now anyway. We're set to leave the Moon tomorrow."

"Please think about it, Princess. We're stronger as nine."

Lita rolled the communicator between her fingers. "And would the Outer Alliance swear complete allegiance to Queen Serenity?"

"We haven't adopted a formal resolution to seek reconciliation, but if we did, we understand that that would be a condition."

"All right," said Lita, straightening her back. "I will give it some thought and get back to you."

….

Beryl was on the verge of tears as she held the crumpled letter in one hand and the black wrought iron bar of the high gate surrounding the Palace in the other. The quiet hush that had fallen over Hadean City the past few months had been suddenly replaced by an flutter of urgency for the prince's return. She would howl his name from the gates if that was what it took to finally see him. She would confront him with what she learned and demand he take some retributive action against the House of the Moon or else lose her friendship forever.

But she needed confirmation. So far she'd had only her gut instincts to go on and though she had the voice reassuring her that her fears were correct, she needed to know for sure. She needed to hear it out loud. She knew that Darien wouldn't be able to give her this; despite his newfound title and associations, no one would think to mention a midwife of sixteen years ago, least of all to mortal prince.

Beryl pressed her face between the bars and gazed sadly at the palace as workers rushed to and fro. To them, she was sure she looked like any other commoner hoping to get a glimpse of the prince returning. Beryl watched as four uniformed men – Darien's new guards, no doubt – marched across the yard toward the front steps. The sun was blazing and Beryl couldn't make out the detail of any of their faces, but the tall, dark-haired one seemed to pause at the sight of her. As he made his way closer to her, she looked around to see if he was looking at someone else. But he strode toward her, tentatively at first, but then with more confidence. And then he was just three feet from her.

"I know you," he said pointedly. "From somewhere long ago."

A jolt of recognition struck Beryl. "Yes," she replied. "You're the soldier who took Darien from the woods and brought him to Hadean City as a prince."

The man crinkled his brow as if confused. "Oh," he said, finally. "Oh yes. You were the one with him."

Beryl nodded.

"I guess I didn't notice you then. My mission was to retrieve the prince and return him to his rightful home." Beryl didn't reply. "Listen," the soldier said abruptly. "I have to go. Preparations for the prince's return." He turned to go.

_Stop him._

"Wait!" Beryl called out. He paused and faced her. He looked expectant, but there was a trace of something else in his expression. It looked almost like guilt.

"Yes?"

"Um," Beryl began.

_He knows._

"I—uh—I need to ask you something," she stammered.

"Yes?" he asked again.

"Um."

_Ask him about the Moon._

"Were you stationed on the Moon sixteen years ago?"

His face drained of color. Beryl knew she had struck a chord.

"You were, weren't you?"

He nodded solemnly.

"Did you know of the midwife who delivered Her Royal Highness the Princess Serenity?"

Another nod.

Beryl's heart raced. She was finally going to get the answer she had sought her whole life.

"Was she killed to protect the secret of a twinned birth?" Beryl hissed under her breath.

His eyes grew wide. He looked over his shoulder and leaned in toward her. "To speak of such things is treason!" he warned.

"Answer me!" Beryl shot back, unafraid.

"You listen to me," he growled, his eyes narrowed. "I did my job. I'd do it again if I had to."

Beryl gasped. Her eyes stung. "It was your blade, wasn't it?"

Inexplicably, his expression went from stone to soft in seconds. "Look," he said, shaking his head. "I am sorry about what I did to your family. But I had to do what I had to do to protect the kingdom."

"My—my family?" Beryl repeated. "How do you know this?"

"I was the one," he replied. "I killed your mother. I delivered the news to your grandmother who died on the spot. And it was I who first delivered you to Hadean House for Orphans."

She felt her breath become labored and short. A cacophony of conflicting emotions swarmed inside her as she struggled for the right words. Her thoughts were a jumbled mess, but the voice rang out clear as day. She locked onto his gaze and he stared into her eyes, transfixed. She was only vaguely aware that she was speaking.

"You will meet me in the woods in the heart of the Permian District tomorrow at midnight. It is time for you to repay your debt!"

He nodded slowly and back away several paces before slowly turning and returning to the palace to await his prince.

Inside her head, the voice whispered: _It is time to return home._


	22. Chapter 21: Enchantment

**CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE:** Enchantment

A chill had settled over the woods of Permia as the last remnants of the fall season were beginning to fade. Beryl stood in a clearing wrapped in a long, purple cloak that fluttered in the breeze as she stared straight ahead in an almost meditative-like trance. She didn't move. She barely breathed. She waited.

….

"Goodbye, my friends," said Serena warmly as she bid farewell to her Court. They had been in residence on the Moon for months and now it was time for them to return to their home worlds. As far as she was concerned, the ceremonies went well and she had gotten to know her Princesses a little better. They stood in a line before her and she approached them one at a time to say farewell.

"Goodbye, Princess Mercury," Serena said, leaning forward and pressing her forehead to Amy's in the customary Mercurian farewell gesture. Amy smiled and turned to proceed down the white marble steps of the palace and onto the promenade. Throngs of citizens lined the promenade to watch the recession of the royals into their respective ships.

"Goodbye, Princess Venus." Serena exchanged soft kisses to each cheek with Mina. Then Mina turned slowly and descended into the crowd, the train of her orange chiffon gown trailing regally behind her.

"Goodbye, Princess Mars," said Serena, descending into a slow curtsy, which Raye mimicked in unison. "And please keep in touch about what we spoke about."

Raye didn't meet Serena's eyes as she rose slowly out of her bow. "I will, Your Highness," she said humbly. Raye turned and descended the stairs. The crowd below respectfully ceased their shouts and let the Martian princess proceed to her ship in silence.

"Goodbye, Princess Jupiter." Serena remained standing and extended her delicate hand as Lita dropped to one knee and took the Moon Princess's hand in hers and kissed it lightly. Serena thought she detected a note of distraction in Lita's eyes. "Please stay in touch, Princess," she said warmly. "Let us not let the distance between our home worlds serve to separate us for long."

"Yes, Princess," said Lita simply, rising. She turned and headed for the steps. When she came into view, the crowd greeted her with a cacophony of cheers and praises.

"They love her," Serena remarked offhand to Darien, the last one.

"She's great," Darien offered.

"When they see her, they have great confidence in their own security," said Serena. "That's important in dark times."

Darien looked up, surprised. "Are these dark times, Princess?" he asked.

She didn't return his glance. "You don't feel it?"

Darien didn't answer. Beryl's sudden disappearance from his life had filled him with a dread he had never known. All he wanted at that moment was for the Moon Princess to dismiss him so he could race home and investigate. He tapped his foot impatiently.

At last, Serena broke out of her private reverie and noticed him. She smiled and embraced him in a tight hug. Darien was surprised, but returned the hug. He let go and coughed awkwardly when she hadn't let go. Finally, she released him and stepped back.

"I apologize, Prince Endymion," she said, a flush of pink rising in her cheeks. "I'm still learning the customs of heavenly bodies."

"Quite all right, Your Highness," said Darien, his eyes darting from the floor to the wall to the ceiling and then back to the floor.

"I want you to always speak freely with me," she said suddenly.

"Um, excuse me?"

"Our worlds are so close, so inextricably linked. I want us to be friends, Endymion."

Darien was taken aback by her frankness. "I, uh, I'd like that too, Your Highness."

"Serena," she gently corrected him.

"Serena," he repeated. Darien took that as his leave to go and turned. He strode semi-confidently to the edge of the steps, but at the last minute he looked over his shoulder. Serena still stood there smiling sweetly in his direction. "If you don't mind," he began. "I prefer to be called Darien."

….

Lita nervously twisted the sash over her formal uniform and crumpled it into a ball. Her steel-toed boot tapped incessantly against the metal wall. She hated being cooped up in the back of the royal carriage ship. If she wasn't in the cockpit, she had no use for flying at all.

"How much longer?" she asked the pilot.

"Just eighteen more hours, Highness," came the crisp reply.

Lita sighed. The communicator in her pocket felt like it was burning a hole through her clothes.

….

Amy had cordoned off a section of her carriage ship and made it a makeshift study. She scribbled diagrams and charts and graphs furiously. _A powerful energy source to draw out the Light_, she thought, _and lock it into a conduit of some sort._ Her brain was churning out information faster than she could write and she struggled to get it all down before she lost her various trains of thought. _Some kind of dictation or spell to draw it back out again._ Like lightning, the idea struck her. With a sweep of her arm, she pushed all her papers to the floor and began to scrawl on a fresh sheet. She drew, erased, blew away eraser bits, drew again. When she had finished, she held up her masterpiece and inspected her work. It was rudimentary; she wasn't much of an artist. It was small, designed to be easily hidden. A sturdy handle grip. A glowing orb on top to direct the power current. A slow smile trickled across her face. _One more thing_, she thought, once again returning pencil to paper. She slowly shaded in the symbol of her house.

"This is it," she whispered.

….

Darien could barely contain himself as his shuttle raced through the air toward the outskirts of the Permian District. His foot tapped a mile a minute until he finally had to cup his hands around his boot to contain the nervous energy. It had been months since he'd seen or heard from Beryl and he was eager to yell at her for letting his correspondence go unanswered.

"Just drop me here, please," he instructed his pilot.

"As you wish, Highness," said the uniformed man at the helm. He landed the shuttle with ease and Darien sprang from it as regally as a tortured bull being let out of a stable.

"Wait here," Darien commanded before disappearing into the woods. He half-ran, half-walked the familiar path through the rapidly-darkening woods. He finally reached the cottage and a warm relief washed over him. He felt more at home here than at his palatial residence.

When he reached the front door, he pounded it with impunity. What could Mechanis do to him now that he was a prince? But there was no reply. He pounded and pounded and waited. Still nothing. He tried the doorknob and was shocked to find the door swung open easily. He stepped into the darkened room. The last traces of daylight danced over the bare floor. _This place hasn't been lived in in a long time_, Darien thought. Where are they?

Darien did a quick sweep of the cottage to be sure that it was empty before returning outside again.

"After all this?" he shouted exasperatedly to no one. He dropped clumsily to the ground, his black cape billowing out to the side. He hugged his knees and dropped his head. Now what?

Just then, he thought he heard voices. His head perked up and he quickly scrambled to his feet and waited to hear it again. He caught snippets of half of a conversation and moved slowly toward the voice. He moved past trees and brush until he came to a clearing. He gasped. There she was. Gone was the country maid he had known and loved and in her place was a woman. She stood still as a statute and looked toward him, but just past him. She stared without seeing. She had changed markedly in the months since he'd last seen her. Her cheeks, once full and ruddy, were now sunken and pale. Her eyes, once bright and full of life, were now dull and singed with an almost reddish glow. Her once-slim frame now had new curves and she held a purple cloak close to her body almost sensually.

"Beryl?" he asked timidly.

Slowly, her eyes seemed to focus and recognition seemed to register.

"Darien," she said slowly.

"Are you—are you all right?" he asked.

A slow and deliberate smile spread across her face. "I'm wonderful," she said.

Darien took a hesitant step closer. "I'm—I'm glad to hear it. Um, so, how have you been?" This wasn't going at all how Darien had planned. He had expected her to jump eagerly into his arms. But the Beryl he knew didn't seem to be there at all. She looked—and sounded—so eerie to him.

"I've never been better," she said calmly.

Darien swallowed. "I just got back from the Moon…"

At this, her expression darkened. "The Moon," she repeated.

"Uh, yeah," said Darien. "I wanted to tell you about—about what's been going on with me since—well since, you know, the Prince thing."

"The Prince thing." The way she repeated him was starting to unnerve Darien.

"Well, yeah," he said. A nervous tingle started to crawl up his back.

"You should get back to your new friends," said Beryl coolly, staring him dead in the eye.

"What are you talking about?" he demanded. She tried to move past him but he cut off her path by slamming his opened palm into a tree just at her eye level. "Stop it, Beryl! You can't leave until you talk to me!"

"The time for talking has long passed," Beryl growled. "Did you think I would wait for you forever?"

Her tone began to frighten him. Her voice sounded…unnatural. "Wait? What do you mean, 'wait'? You're the one who never answered my letters!"

"What letters!"

Darien looked as if she had just started speaking in an alien tongue. "Wh-what letters? I wrote you constantly! You never answered me!"

Beryl looked as though her resolve had started to weaken. "You—you wrote?"

Darien relaxed his muscles and took a tentative step toward her. "Of course I wrote, B. I wrote again and again and all my letters went unanswered."

Beryl paused. "But that—that doesn't make any sense."

_He lies._

Darien jerked his head to the side. "Who was that?" he whispered. Suddenly, he regretted demanding his pilot wait for him back at the shuttle. The sky had fully darkened by now, but Beryl's stone white face was aglow by some unobservable source of light.

The fire returned to her eyes. "You're a liar," she spat.

"Beryl, come on, you know me," he tried to cajole. "You know I don't lie."

"Go," she commanded. There was no breeze, but her hair slowly began to rise away from her body.

Darien's heart began to pound in his chest. All of a sudden he was able to name the feeling he felt. It was fear. He backed away slowly. Then he fled.

….

"Ah," she said, as a tall, dark-haired man in a uniform came stoically through the brush. "You're here."

"As requested," he said simply. He locked his eyes on hers and moved slowly toward her.

"Your debt will at last be repaid," Beryl said simply, in a voice not her own. "You took the lives of my family. You will pay with your life in service to me."

Nephrite's soft hazel eyes at once darkened as he succumbed to Beryl's spell.

"Declare yourself!" she said, extending her snow white hand. Nephrite slowly sunk to his knees.

"I swear my allegiance to you and only to you," he droned. "You are my one true ruler, Your Majesty _Queen_ Beryl!"


	23. Chapter 22: Plans

**CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO:** Plans

In a clearing deep in the heart of the woods of the Permian District, a soldier stood erect and awaited his orders.

_We must gather an army_, whispered the voice.

"Yes," Beryl agreed. "But how?"

_We have one soldier, but we must get more. There are others. He knows others._

"Yes," said Beryl, slowly shifting her gaze to the entranced soldier before her. "We have much work to do," she said simply. "Take me to the palace."

….

"Highness?" called Zoisite, rapping gently on the carved oak door to Darien's bedchamber.

"Go away," said Darien simply, his voice muffled by his pillow, which lay pressed over his face.

Zoisite barged in anyway carrying with him four garment bags draped over his forearm.

"If Your Highness insists on wallowing in your rooms all day, the least you could do is try on some of these tuxedos for the Masquerade Ball."

"The _what_?"

"Surely you know about the Ball!" said Zoisite incredulously as he hung up the bags on the door of the chiffarobe.

"Sorry Zoisite, I was a little busy trying to stave off starvation in the Permian District to keep up with the royal goings on," said Darien, sarcastically. He was exaggerating about the state of his upbringing and he knew that Zoisite knew he was exaggerating, but he also knew that Zoisite wouldn't contradict him either.

"I want you to try these on," said Zoisite, ignoring him. "Let me know which one you like best."

"Suppose I like none of them?"

"Don't be obstinate, Highness."

"Suppose I don't feel like going to a Masquerade Ball?"

Zoisite sighed and said, "I assure you, Prince, your mother will insist."

So that was that. Darien reluctantly picked himself up off his bed and staggered over to the chiffarobe and unzipped the closest garment bag. A horrible suit in lime green accented with purple detailing.

"Are you kidding, Zoisite?"

"Bright colors are all the rage now, Highness, and you want to look current, don't you?"

"In your world, is 'current' synonymous with 'like a circus harlequin'?"

Zoisite ignored this. "I'm going to the stables to prepare your horse for your entrance."

"When is this event supposed to happen?"

"It will be in one month. Hardly any time at all to train your horse how to carry a novice rider."

"If it's in a month, why do I have to try on these suits now?"

Zoisite placed a hand on his hip and replied, "Because they need to be custom made. These suits have been bought in the market. You obviously won't be wearing one of _them_ to the Masquerade Ball."

"Yes, that would be crazy," said Darien, sarcastically. "And hey! What do you mean _novice_ rider?"

….

Amy crossed her arms and stared at the chalkboard on the wall in front of her.

"I refuse to believe that this is it," she said. She was in her private lab and the board was scribbled with equations and arrows and symbols and the result had left her wanting. Viola sat at a computer and puzzled over the equations next to the frustrated princess.

"Maybe if I…" Amy began, leaning toward the board. She sighed disgustedly and stepped back again. "No, that wouldn't work either. Where am I going to get an energy source powerful enough to handle this task?"

"Begging your pardon, Highness," said Viola. "But why is this project so important to you?"

"It isn't," Amy insisted, unconvincingly. The truth was, it wasn't the project itself that mattered so much to her. But she simply could not handle the idea that she had invested so much time and research to something only to have it end so dismally. She refused to believe that all her brilliance and machinations could be stymied so resolutely. "I just think that if the Light-bearers could contain their powers in a vessel like this one—" She pointed a drawing tacked up onto a bulletin board. "—it wouldn't cause us so much pain to draw it out. Or even to contain it."

"I see," said Viola, looking away.

Amy glared at her. "You think I'm being arrogant," she accused.

"Of course not, Your Highness!" Viola stammered. "It's just that—well, we've been working on this for so long. I've manufactured the power sticks you asked for, plated with Plutonian ore, and it seems we've hit an impasse. We don't have an energy source powerful enough to draw the Light out of the bodies of the bearers and channel it into the sticks. We've been puzzling over it for weeks and I just don't think it's possible."

"It has to be," said Amy, stubbornly.

Viola sighed. "I'm sorry, Your Highness. I just don't believe there's a source in all the kingdoms that can do what you ask. Short of the Imperium Silver Crystal, of course."

Amy gasped. _Of course!_

Seeming to sense what was brewing in the Princess's head, Viola added: "And of course _that's_ out of the question."

"Yes," said Amy, suddenly distracted. "Impossible."

….

Zoisite hated to be in the stables. Every inch of space reminded him of her. But he felt a renewed sense of purpose since he began overseeing the Prince's reintegration into royal life. His stubbornness was reminiscent of his long-departed sister—and those eyes! Zoisite felt twin jabs of both nostalgia and heartache every time the young Endymion cast him a look of weary exasperation, the same look Callista would cast whenever Zoisite asked her to repeat any task.

He stepped into stall belonging to a young thoroughbred named Hunter and began to brush his shiny chocolate coat. His mind began to drift as he imagined the Elysion Plaza filled with dancing, laughing courtiers. Perhaps the Prince will find himself a suitable match, Zoisite mused as he brushed.

A high, tinny peal of laughter brought Zoisite out of his reverie. He stuck his head out of the stall but saw no one. _What would a child be doing here?_ he wondered. Zoisite searched the rafters with his eyes, and, finding nothing, resumed his work.

But there was the laughter again.

Zoisite swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat. Hearing it again brought him back to that day, that horrible day. _It sounds like…_ But Zoisite didn't allow himself to finish the thought. It was impossible.

He heard it again. It sounded like the little bells the children's choir rang melodically during the winter holidays. He dropped the brush and came out of the stall.

"Is someone there?" he called, nervously.

Zoisite began to panic. _It can't be_, he thought. Beads of sweat began to collect at his brow. He knew he was alone and what he was hearing was impossible. But it was unmistakable. It was her laughter. That carefree, innocent, angelic titter that always flew from her body as if she were being tickled by invisible fairies.

"C-Callie?" he called timidly. He looked up into the rafters and saw nothing. Slowly, his gaze fell to the stalls. He inched forward and peered into the stalls half expecting to see her pop out in an attempt to startle him. Suddenly, a dark shadow appeared out of the corner of his eye, and darted out the back door. Zoisite's heart began to race as he hurried across the barn, his boots getting scuffed with mud. As he emerged, he saw the great yellow sun hovering low over the horizon signaling twilight was imminent. And there she was. Her back was to him, but he had no doubt it was her. Her fiery red hair cascaded down her back in a smooth wave but with sudden cowlicks poking out in all directions. She wore tall brown riding boots and an amber dress that moved slowly with the gentle wind. Zoisite was paralyzed.

"Zoisite," came the small voice in front of him. It had been years since he heard that voice, but it was forever imprinted on his memory. He would know her voice anywhere.

"Callie?" he said, trembling. She didn't turn around.

"Zoisite, why did you let me fall?" she asked, her voice tinny and fearful.

Zoisite felt as though he had been stabbed through the heart with an ice pick. He fought the tears that were threatening behind his slate-colored eyes. "I—I—" he stammered. Slowly, she began to turn. When Zoisite looked upon the face of the fallen princess, he collapsed to the hard-packed dirt ground.

"You killed me," she announced, a coldness suddenly resonant in her voice. Her hazel eyes turned black. "You killed me!"

"Forgive me, Princess!" he wailed. The tears poured out of his eyes and spackled the earth below him. He couldn't bring himself to look up. He heard her approach him slowly and squeezed his eyes shut tight. A frigid chill raced through his body as she placed her two small hands on either side of his face.

"You will repay your debt," she said, in a voice not her own, "with your life in service to me!"

"I—I—I will," he stammered, lowering his gaze again. His body grew cold as images flashed through his mind: his parents sending him off to be educated on Mercury, his graduation with honors, his time in the courts of all the royal houses. One by one, each of his memories was blinked out of existence and replaced with blackness. He felt a surge of strength harden his bones as he rose to his feet.

The small form of Callista grew blurry before his eyes. Her features changed, sharpened, grew until he found himself face to face with a woman with burning red hair and fire in her eyes.

"Return to the palace," she commanded. "You will appear unchanged to all who encounter you. I will be back with my orders."

She disappeared before Zoisite's eyes. When the dust settled, he turned slowly and made his way back.


	24. Chapter 23: Chosen

**CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE: **Chosen

A whispered prayer escaped the Mars Princess's lips as she knelt before the sacred flame in the Temple of Apollo. She had come every night after the conclusion of evening services since returning from the Moon Kingdom, at the special request of the Princess Serenity. Raye had been quite taken with the Princess, despite herself. She seemed to have a deep respect for the traditions of Mars and the intuitions of its Princess. She shared the sense of foreboding that had been plaguing Raye for quite some time now. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but she sensed that an evil had infiltrated their alliance of kingdoms.

"Sacred flame," she whispered. "Show me the face of the enemy."

The flames swayed and danced before her. Blurred images began to move and take shape. Raye opened her eyes and tried to make sense of them. A rose in the hand of a faceless woman. An army rising up behind her, soldiers cloaked in shadow. A castle burning with melted embers falling to the ground.

….

"Are you sure you insist on the black, Highness?" said Zoisite fretfully. Darien was perched awkwardly on a short pedestal as Zoisite flitted back and forth with a tape measure and pins.

"I do," said Darien scornfully, still annoyed that he was preparing for a Masquerade Ball he had no intention of attending.

Zoisite sighed. "Oh well. Black is classic, I suppose."

Darien cringed as Zoisite began to pin his inseam. Suddenly, there was a light rap on the door.

"Come in!" Darien called gratefully. Jaedite poked his head in and smiled.

"Good morning, Your Highness! I just wanted to take my leave in person before my shuttle leaves this morning."

"Where you going?" Darien asked, shifting uncomfortably as Zoisite's pins got dangerously high up his thigh.

"Her Majesty the Queen Terrania asked me to make the yearly diplomatic visit to the Holy Kingdom of Mars. I leave in about an hour."

"Ah, well, congratulations, Jaedite. I understand it's a great honor to be sent to Mars?"

Jaedite smiled and nodded humbly. "It is. Evidently all my Scrolls studies have paid off!"

"My best to her Royal Highness," said Darien. Jaedite smiled, bent in a slight bow, and shut the door behind him.

Zoisite busied himself behind Darien's back pulling and smoothing the folds of the tuxedo at his shoulders.

"Could use a cape, don't you think, Highness?"

"Whatever you want, Zoisite," said Darien, resigned.

"What I _want_ is for you to elicit an opinion!" Zoisite snapped.

Darien's mouth fell open, astonished. Almost immediately, Zoisite collected himself and dropped to his knees. "I beg your pardon, Your Highness! I don't know—I forgot my place, Highness. Please forgive me."

Zoisite's eyes were wide with surprise. He looked even more shocked by his outburst than Darien was. Darien softened. "It's fine, Zoisite. Think nothing of it." He straightened up, signaling Zoisite to finish his tailoring.

Slowly, Zoisite rose to his feet. He refused to meet Darien's eyes as he continued to measure his body. He finished up quickly, wordlessly. Then, softly: "I'm finished. If Your Highness will please remove the suit."

Quickly, Darien stripped until he was in nothing but his underclothes. He handed Zoisite each piece of the tuxedo and eyed him warily. "Zoisite, is something the matter?"

Zoisite looked at the floor as he accepted the garments. "I'm not feeling very well these days, Highness," he said. His face suddenly looked wan and drawn. "I think I'll go lie down in my quarters after I get this to the tailor." He dropped into a quick bow and hastily exited Darien's bedchamber.

Darien raised an eyebrow and stared after the door as it fell shut behind Zoisite. _He's been acting very strange lately_, he mused.

….

"Begging your pardon, Your Highness," said Phobos, his head low as he entered the Temple. Raye turned her head slowly, without getting up. "The Ambassador from Earth has arrived."

Raye nodded and stood up. She moved swiftly past Phobos as he held the door open for her. She said nothing as she made her way through the underground corridors back to her palace home. The sacred flame had given her nothing save for a smattering of images. But there was nothing linking them to one another and she had no idea what any of them meant. All she knew for certain was that something dark was coming.

She entered the greeting room where Deimos was waiting. He bowed and she nodded her head in return. She stood before her throne with her attendants flanking her at either side. She nodded slightly to the guard at the front signaling that she was ready to receive her visitor. He pulled the door aside and the Earth Ambassador stepped in. He walked, eyes averted, to the center of the room and immediately sank to the floor in a low bow.

Raye's cheeks burned a deep crimson the color of the robe she wore wrapped tightly around her body. As he rose from his bow, her eyes fell from his crystal blue eyes to his mouth, slightly off-center, with full lips pulled back in a half smile over brilliant white teeth.

"Ambassador Jaedite?" she squeaked. She coughed.

"I am most humbled to be in your presence, Your Highness," he said, flashing that smile.

"I trust you had a pleasant journey?"

"It was most pleasant, I thank Your Highness for inquiring."

"I—I thought we might begin with a tour of the grounds," said Raye, shyly.

"I would be honored," said Jaedite. He bowed again and followed Raye as she turned to leave the throne room.

….

Serena rose from her seat and greeted Amy warmly in a close hug. The Mercurian Princess seemed out of breath and excited.

"Welcome back to the Moon, Princess," said Serena, dropping in a slight bow, which Amy quickly returned.

"It is an honor to be back in your court, Princess," said Amy.

"Your message sounded like you had an urgent matter to discuss?" said Serena, curiously.

"Yes," said Amy. "And I do thank you for agreeing to this meeting."

"It is my pleasure," said Serena, showing Amy into an antechamber where they could speak in private. "Now, please, tell me what it is that brings you back."

Amy sat down at the stone table in the small room. She knew her proposal would require some delicacy and well-reasoned argument. Even so, she knew it would be a long shot.

"I've manufactured a device," she said, cutting to the chase. She reached under the table for her bag and placed it on the table in front of Serena. "Go ahead," she urged. "Take a look."

Serena raised an eyebrow and peered into the bag. She reached in and removed a small stick, plated with gold. She rolled it over in her hand and traced the top, a small golden orb etched with the sign of the House of Mercury, with her delicate fingertip. "It's lovely," she said sincerely, and knowing a Mercurian would never create something this beautiful for the sake of art, which was more a Venusian pursuit, asked, "What does it do?"

"Well," said Amy, "nothing yet. But its potential is truly remarkable!" Serena raised her eyebrow again and said nothing. Amy took Serena's silence as an invitation to go on. "My idea is to remove the Light from its human vessel and hold it in here."

Serena crinkled her eyebrows and attempted to understand. "By human vessel, you mean yourself?"

"Yes, Princess. But not just myself. All your Royal Court. Well," she added, correcting herself, "all your Light-bearing Court."

"Why?" asked Serena, rolling the stick back and forth across her palm.

"Surely you have noticed the physical pain involved in wielding the Light," said Amy. "After the Luminare, the Princess Venus had burns all over her body and the Princess Jupiter couldn't keep any food down for days."

"That's the way it's always been," said Serena.

"But imagine it wasn't just a Light demonstration. Imagine there was a real battle, Princess!" said Amy. "How much Light can a Princess emit before needing to recuperate?"

Serena cocked her head to the side. "I'm not sure I understand."

"Imagine, instead of each of the four of us holding the Light inside our bodies, we held it in one of these instead? We could call upon some kind of chant or dictation to draw the Light out of this vessel and use it when we need it instead of carrying it inside us constantly. In addition to the relief of the physical pain associated with the Light, keeping it outside our bodies is a prudent security measure for other reasons as well."

"How so?" asked Serena, patiently.

Amy spoke rapidly and breathlessly, as though her mouth had trouble voicing the thoughts in her head as quickly as they were forming: "If the Light is contained in a vessel, to be called upon by a command of some kind, we no longer have to worry about what would happen to the security of the kingdom if tragedy befell one of the bearers! Just imagine, Princess, if the Light of Earth had been kept in one of these—" She pointed to the wand still in Serena's hand. "—then Callista's death would not have meant the end of Earth's Light! The Earth _Prince_ could wield it!"

Serena paused as she remembered the pain in Darien's eyes at the Luminare. She knew he felt just as she did about his inability to defend his kingdom on his own.

Amy hurried to fill the silence. "Imagine it, Princess. We lost an entire source of protection when Earth's Light was extinguished. What might happen if we lost another one?"

Serena was delicate in her choice of words. "I can very much appreciate the pain of your burden, Princess. And that of the others as well. However, what you're asking…I'm afraid it cannot be done."

Amy looked away. She knew Serena would react this way to her request.

Serena went on: "The power of the Imperium Silver Crystal is great, but it is also unstable. No one in our House has ever wielded it. The last time it was used was during the Great War."

"I understand," said Amy softly.

"We just do not know enough about its power to use it in this manner. I can appreciate that there is no other energy source known to us that is powerful enough to draw the Light out of its bearers, but it is simply too dangerous."

Amy met Serena's eyes. "I understand, Princess. I thank you sincerely for your time and patience."

Serena reached out and placed a hand over Amy's. "This is a truly remarkable device, Princess. I must commend you on your work. I'm sorry I do not have better news for you. Please do not give up on your research."

….

"This tea is exquisite," Raye remarked softly, staring into the tiny china cup. A thinly painted green vine encircled the rim of the cup with tiny, delicate leaves poking out in alternating directions.

"I'm glad you like it, Highness," said Jaedite, humbly. "The leaves are grown in the Promethean District of my home world."

"I think the Earthen tradition of afternoon tea is lovely," said Raye, leaning into her cup and inhaling the aromatic steam that wafted out of it.

"I think the Mars traditions are lovely," said Jaedite. "I spent several years here at the Temple of Apollo writing my dissertation."

Raye raised her eyebrows in pleased surprise. "Oh?" she inquired. "What was the subject of your paper?"

"Oh," said Jaedite, pouring some more tea into Raye's cup, "it was nothing very interesting. It was my own silly little theory about the origins of civilization, Book of Antiquity interpretation, that sort of thing." Jaedite's cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "I was just a young student back then. I wasn't really sure what I believed."

"I can understand that," said Raye, kindly.

"You can?" asked Jaedite, surprised. He then added quickly: "Begging your pardon, of course, Your Highness. But I was under the impression that the Princess of the Holy Kingdom would be the last person in the galaxy to question the faith."

Raye smiled and met his eyes, briefly. "It's not that I ever questioned the faith, but it's a constant struggle. Reconciling our beliefs with the – ah – political realities of our civilization."

"Ah, I see," said Jaedite.

"We are very devoted to the Scrolls," Raye continued. "And the Scrolls speak very clearly, we believe, to the necessity of reconciliation with our four sister worlds of the Outer Alliance."

"Yes, I understand that Tharsis has again raised the Reconciliation Resolution in the Royal Council this year."

"And again he was rebuffed by the Council," said Raye, sadly but with a hint of a smile. "Of course we were not surprised."

"Ill feelings toward the outer worlds run deep," said Jaedite.

"I would like to think that those feelings would temper given the temporal distance between the War and the present time. Peace should be our main objective, Ambassador. Don't you think?"

Jaedite paused. He sensed he was just given some kind of test. He tried to think of something appeasing, yet non-committal, to say in response. Finally: "Of course peace is the most desirable state of affairs, Highness," he agreed. "But as you put it before, the 'political realities' tend to stand in the way."

"I'm glad you agree," said Raye, with a sparkle in her eye. "Perhaps our two worlds are more alike than I originally thought."

Jaedite returned her smile easily, confident he had passed whatever it was she was testing him on, and eagerly drained the remaining drops of tea from his cup.

….

Jaedite strode confidently across the palace grounds. He was certain his meeting had gone exceedingly well and that Earth could count on Mars as an ally in the Royal Council.

"Ambassador Jaedite," said Deimos, shuffling quickly toward Jaedite from behind. Jaedite had almost reached the front gates of the palace and his shuttle craft was waiting just beyond on the landing pad.

"Yes, my Lord, have I forgotten something?"

"I was instructed by the Princess to give you this," he said hurriedly, handing Jaedite a crisp, cream-colored envelope bound in red sealing wax imprinted with the symbol of the House of Mars.

"A letter?" said Jaedite quizzically, examining the envelope. "Well, thank you, my Lord, and again, thank you for your gracious hospitality." Jaedite executed a quick bow and smiled. Deimos refused to meet his eye. Jaedite thought he detected a hint of melancholia in Deimos's haunted expression.

Deimos hurried away and Jaedite boarded his craft. After a quick nod to his pilot, he settled into his seat and stared out the window as the shuttle ascended. Soon, the dusty red plains of the Martian terrain were left in the distance. Jaedite broke the seal of the envelope and removed the letter. His eyes quickly scanned the long, elegant script. And his heart sank.

_My dear Ambassador Jaedite,_

_ You honored me greatly with your presence in the Holy Kingdom of Mars. Your knowledge of Martian customs and your adherence to our sacred devotions truly touched me. As I'm sure Your Grace is aware, I have recently attained my seventeenth year. I have been in preparations to accede the sacred throne of Mars, but one final step remains. I must choose a King who will honor the Holy Kingdom and give his life in heavenly devotion to the Gods. I have chosen Your Grace for this, the highest honor in the Martian tradition, and one of the highest honors in all the Kingdoms, pending the approval of Her Majesty the Queen Terrania of your most honored Temperate Kingdom of Earth._

_ By the Grace of the Gods, I am ever_

_ Yours in love,_

_ H.R.H. Rayana, Princess of the Holy Kingdom of Mars_


	25. Chapter 24: Escape

**CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR**: Escape

Lita wrung her hands together anxiously as she awaited an audience with her mother. After what seemed like ages, Zeusania finally appeared in the throne room.

"You're back," she said, her mouth taut in a grim line.

_Uh oh_, Lita thought, a feeling of dread sinking in her stomach like a brick. _She's angry with me._

"Yes, Mother," she said, warily. "It was a wonderful celeb—"

"What is the meaning of these!" Zeusania shouted, tossing a handful of glossy papers in Lita's direction.

Lita knelt to pick one up and her heart sank as she realized her grave error: she had forgotten to remove the films from her jet. Her camera had kept snapping photos as she toured Hyperion under guard. She closed her eyes. "Mother," she began.

"Not a word!" Zeusania reprimanded. Lita immediately closed her mouth. "How in the world could you have been so reckless! Do you know how many lives you've endangered? Do you know that you committed treason against the Moon Kingdom?"

Lita felt her face grow hot. She could lead squadrons into space, she could demolish a stone building with her Light, she could fight and die for her Kingdom, but when her mother scolded her, she was only a twelve-year-old girl who had done something wrong and was going to be punished for it.

"You may speak. Tell me, what were you thinking!"

Lita stared at her mother's feet. "I wanted to get better photos," she said in a small voice. "I was arrogant. I wasn't thinking."

Zeusania glared. "Your flight status is revoked."

Lita looked up at her mother, panicked. "For how long?" she asked, her eyes brimming.

"I haven't decided yet. Now get out of my sight!"

Lita ran from the room, through the corridors, and into her own bedroom, slamming the door behind her. She threw herself on her bed facedown. "I hate her," she said through choked and muffled sobs.

_CHIRP! CHIRP! CHIRP!_

Lita gasped. She picked up her head and craned her neck back to her night table. The communicator was hidden inside a secret compartment installed on the underside of the drawer. Her stomach started to churn as she reached over and felt around for the small, spherical device.

"Hello?"

"Hey," came the familiar voice. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," said Lita, wiping her face with her shirt sleeve. She had forgotten the video component to the device.

"Liar," he said. "Come on, what is it?"

Lita shook her head. "It's nothing. I just—I just got in trouble."

Titus laughed. "_You_ got in trouble? How is that possible?"

Lita scowled. "My mother knows about my little tour of Hyperion."

"Oh," said Titus, his tone changing serious. "I see."

"Yeah," said Lita.

"How much trouble are you in?" He sounded concerned.

"I'm grounded," she answered, miserably.

"Wow," said Titus, not unsympathetically. "What are you going to do with yourself?"

"I have no idea!" she practically shouted. "There is nothing on this entire planet but bases and prisons. Without my flight status there's nothing for me here."

"Maybe it's time for a vacation?"

Lita snorted. "Yeah, I can just see it. I can go to Venus and lounge around eating grapes and bedding the consorts like Mina does."

"I didn't say all that," said Titus, reproachfully. "You're still a child, you shouldn't talk like that."

"Years are longer on Jupiter than anywhere else in the Kingdom," Lita reminded him. "My mother was married younger than I am."

"Still," he said. "In any event, I had something else in mind."

Her interest was piqued. "Like what?"

"I was thinking a diplomatic mission to the Halcyon Kingdom."

Lita raised an eyebrow. "Saturn? You're kidding, right? You do realize I can't fly because of my last trip to your stupid world."

"I'm not kidding," said Titus. "And I have a plan. If you're interested, that is."

Lita felt her face grew hot against her will.

"Can I take that as a yes?" he asked. She couldn't see his face but somehow knew he was smiling.

"Well," said Lita, thoughtfully. "What's your plan?"

….

The floor around Darien's desk was littered with crumpled balls of parchment. He nervously chewed his lip as pen scratched furiously with his latest draft.

_Dear Beryl,_

_I can't stop thinking about how we left things in the woods of Permia. I know you don't believe that I wrote you and I don't know why my letters weren't delivered. I'm sending this letter enclosed with an invitation by a special courier. The invitation is for the Masquerade Ball held at the palace next week. I want you to come. I want to talk this all out face to face. I will leave your name with the guards at the gate. _

_You're my best friend. I miss you._

_Darien_

….

Jaedite gazed out at the shallow pond just beyond the verandah. A shallow forest cast their long shadows across the pond like ghosts reaching out toward him. _This is it_, he thought grimly. _This is probably the last time I'll ever look at Earth, my home._ Hot tears stung the corners of his eyes as he contemplated the letter and what it spelled for his future. Or lack thereof. If the Princess Mars had her way, and it was all but certain that she would, he would have a year, maybe two if he was lucky, left before he would become the Martian bridegroom and king and subject himself to that high honor that came along with it the highest price.

"I am doomed," he moaned, collapsing to the ground. He hugged his knees and wept.

"Not necessarily," remarked a hushed voice behind him.

Jaedite craned his neck around and saw a woman wrapped head to toe in a deep purple cloak. Her eyes gleamed crimson as they stared out at him.

"Who—who are you?" Jaedite asked, scrambling to his feet. A tingle of fear crept up the back of his neck. "And how did you get into the palace grounds?"

"I am Queen Beryl," she said stiffly. "But what you should be asking about is the alternative I can offer you."

"What do you mean?"

"An alternative," said Beryl, "to your otherwise short existence as the King of Mars."

Jaedite shook his head sadly. "If Terrania approves the match – and it's certain she will – I'll have no choice but to comply."

"I can make it so that the Princess Mars changes her mind about you."

Jaedite looked up. "How?"

Beryl smiled. "Leave that to me. Are you interested or not?"

"Why would you do this for me?"

Beryl cackled. "It is no gift, Ambassador Jaedite. It comes at a price."

"What price?" he demanded.

At this, Beryl turned her back to him and began to slowly glide away into the trees just beyond the pond. "What is your life worth?" she called over her shoulder.

Jaedite stared after her for a moment. Then, without a word, he followed her into the shadowed glade.


	26. Chapter 25: Dust

**CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE:** Dust

Kunzite murmured softly to himself as he thumbed through an armful of papers. He made his way down the long corridor that ran the length of the eastern wing of the palace. He began to turn toward the right to head down a corridor that led to the conference room where the rest of the prince's advisors were waiting, but he stopped when he saw Terrania headed toward him, her amber chiffon gown trailing elegantly behind her.

"Kunzite!" called the Queen. Immediately, Kunzite stopped and nodded his bow. "I presume you've heard the news?" said Terrania.

Kunzite shook his head. "What news is that, Your Majesty?"

Terrania extended her hand and offered Kunzite a paper scroll bearing a broken wax seal stamped with the image of the House of Mars. Kunzite accepted the scroll and unfurled it. He quickly scanned the calligraphy.

"She has chosen Jaedite?" he asked, looking up in surprise.

Terrania nodded. "This is very good news for us, Kunzite," she said solemnly. "A knight in our own house elevated to King of Mars."

Kunzite read through the rest of the document. "I'm confused, Majesty. How does this honor benefit the Kingdom of Earth?"

"Before we consent to the match, we can require certain protections for our Kingdom."

Kunzite furrowed his brow. "Protections?"

"Of course," she said, her eyes sparkling. "Being this closely allied with the Kingdom of Mars virtually assures Earth's position on the Royal Council. This should especially please you, Kunzite."

Kunzite raised an eyebrow. "Me, Your Majesty?"

Terrania cast him a knowing look. "When Jaedite takes the Martian throne, there will be an opening on the Council."

Kunzite was taken aback. "Your Majesty, I'm—I'm truly honored you would think of me for such an exalted position."

"I can think of no better representative of the Temperate Kingdom," said Terrania. She smiled and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I know you will do great things, Kunzite. You are a natural leader of men. You have molded my country boy into a prince befitting his station!"

Kunzite was speechless. He nodded a quick bow as Terrania gave his shoulder a quick squeeze and headed off down the corridor. _Finally_, he thought. _All my years of work are finally paying off!_

….

"Well, don't you look dashing!" remarked a satisfied Zoisite as he surveyed Darien up and down. The prince was perched on a small pedestal and turned around halfway to inspect himself in the large mirror Zoisite had wheeled into Darien's bedchamber earlier.

"I look ridiculous," Darien complained. His crisp black tuxedo fit perfectly over a clean white shirt. A long, glossy black cape was affixed to his shoulders by gold buckles. Perched on the bridge of his nose was a white mask, a mandatory accoutrement for the Masquerade Ball, which was to be held in the Elysion Ballroom of the palace in less than an hour.

Zoisite shook his head. "Nonsense!" he cried. "You look very intriguing and mysterious." He paused and looked Darien over once again. "Wait, I think just one more finishing touch, Highness," he said, tapping his slender index finger against his chin. Darien felt foolish enough in the dapper getup and wondered what new humiliation awaited him behind Zoisite's unfinished thought. "Aha!" said Zoisite, snapping his fingers. He disappeared inside Darien's closet and emerged a moment later brandishing a shiny black top hat. "Perfect," he said, mostly to himself, as he placed the final adornment on top of Darien's head.

Darien inspected himself in the mirror and winced. "I just—I don't look like myself."

Zoisite winked. "That's the whole point! You're not supposed to be Prince Darien tonight. Tonight, you are your alter ego. You are Tuxedo Mask!"

….

Night had just begun to fall as throngs of nobles, courtiers, and knights milled about the Elysion Ballroom showing off the finest formalwear Darien had ever seen. Even the servants had dressed up for the occasion and floated around the room passing out hors d'oeuvres and champagne flutes in elaborate costumes replete with jewel-encrusted masks. An eleven-piece chamber orchestra filled the ballroom with dancing music and couples paired off and swayed to the music.

Darien, however, noticed none of this as he sat stiffly on a marble bench at the base of the palace steps just outside the main entrance to the ballroom. Music wafted down as did the laughs of joyful revelers.

"I guess she isn't showing up," said Darien, aloud. He felt foolish for even thinking she would. She had made it clear that she wanted nothing to do with him back in the woods in Permia. _Still_, he thought,_ it would have been nice if our years of friendship counted for something._

Darien sighed. _I guess I can't put it off any longer_, he thought. He heaved himself off the stone bench and started for the palace steps. He stepped up onto the first stair and hesitated as his eyes wandered to the exquisite rose bush cushioning the end of the ornate railing. He reached over and snapped a bloom several inches below its base. He gently slid the stem into the breast pocket of his tuxedo jacket and, taking the steps two at a time, quickly ascended.

He felt assaulted by the mirth that greeted him in the ballroom. Instead of joining the party, he gathered up his cape and sat down in the throne reserved for him. His mother and father were noticeably absent.

"This party is for you, Endymion," Terrania had said earlier that day. "It is a chance for you to bond with your subjects, for them to see you in an informal setting and get to know you a little better."

Darien had wanted to ask what was so informal about dignitaries from all across Earth dancing and laughing and spilling champagne all over the costly Venusian tapestries hanging all over the ballroom, but he thought the better of it.

Darien was quickly growing bored as he surveyed the slew of masked faces mingling and dancing. He stared longingly at the door in the northwest corner that led to the closest corridor to his rooms and his eyes briefly met Zoisite's. Zoisite glared at him immediately wiping away any plan Darien had to make a break for it. He sighed and let his eyes sweep over the assembled party again. The way they swayed and laughed and drank made Darien feel melancholy all over again and he wondered why it seemed happiness came easy to everyone but him.

He was mired in his self-pitying thoughts when his gaze suddenly fell upon a young woman in a shimmering white gossamer gown and matching white mask. A stack of golden blond hair was piled high on top of her head in a complicated-looking up-do and dazzling diamond earrings dangled from her ears. Darien felt a lump form immediately in his throat as he stared at her. Her feathered and sequined mask obscured most of her face, all but a tiny, slightly upturned nose and a perfectly pink, heart-shaped mouth. But it was the way she moved that captivated Darien instantly. Her small body swayed with an elegant grace and she held her head up regally, but not so high as to suggest she felt herself more important than anyone else. He was not aware that he was moving down the steps and into the throng of people. All he could register was the way the light seemed to bounce off her, making her glow as if encased by a full-body halo.

Moments later, he found himself standing right behind her as she rocked side to side to the music. Before he knew what he was doing, he reached out and tapped her bare shoulder. Her skin was smooth and perfect. She swiveled around and her dress angled elegantly around her.

"May I have this dance?" he found himself asking, in a voice he barely recognized.

The young woman descended into a low bow and replied, "Of course, Your Majesty."

There was something familiar and comforting about her, but Darien couldn't put his finger on it. He was too distracted by her eyes, sparkling like small oceans from behind the mask. He took her hand in his while his other hand found the small of her back. She held onto his right shoulder and their bodies swayed together as the band played a haunting melody. He knew he had never heard the tune before, but it felt familiar, like an old lullaby a mother sings to quiet a crying child. An electric charge ran up his spine as their bodies moved in perfect synch and he breathed in the delicate aroma of sugar and roses wafting up from her shimmering golden hair.

His heart pounded as he held her. He started to speak, but a lump formed in his throat. Suddenly, his surroundings became a blur all around him and all he could see was the small half of a face that was turned up facing him.

"What is your name?" he whispered.

He couldn't take his eyes off her mouth, the corners of which turned up as she replied: "In the spirit of anonymity, which I think is the theme of the Masquerade Ball, I cannot tell you."

Darien grinned at her playfulness. "That's not fair, my lady," he said. "You know who I am."

At this, she broke out into a full smile revealing teeth small and white as gleaming pearls. "There isn't a soul in the Kingdom who doesn't know who _you_ are," she said.

"And who am I?" he said, enjoying the banter, in spite of himself. He spun her around and pulled her close again.

"You are Prince Darien, of course," she said, grinning. "Heir to the throne of the most exalted Temperate Kingdom of Earth."

"Ah, that is true," said Darien. "But enough about me. What district do you hail from, my lady?"

"Your Majesty insists on breaking the rules of the Masquerade Ball."

"You said it yourself, I am the Prince. I can make the rules and break them."

At this, the song ended and they pulled apart. "I thank Your Highness for the dance," she said, her head tipped downward, shyly. "But I'm afraid I must be going." She sunk into a bow.

"You cannot leave without at least giving me your name," Darien cajoled. Then out of the corner of his eye, Darien saw a dark shadow in the doorway. He looked up and caught a glimpse of fiery red hair flying back down the stairs. He turned back to the young lady, but she had disappeared. Darien felt a twinge of disappointment, but then brushed it aside and quickly made his way to the door. The crowd parted for him and he picked up the pace. When he got to the threshold, he could see the familiar red hair over a purple cloak floating away from him.

"Beryl!" he shouted. "Wait!"

She stopped. He caught up to her.

"You came," he said, breathlessly.

She turned very slowly on her heels. The look she cast him was one of pure hatred. "Go back to your party," she spat, her voice low and controlled.

"Beryl, come on, don't do this," he pleaded, looking into her eyes, which had grown dull and lifeless.

"Do what?" she growled. "Interrupt you while that little tramp strokes your ego?"

"Hey!" said Darien, a harshness creeping into his voice. "She isn't a tramp! You don't even know her!"

"_You_ don't even know her," Beryl replied.

Darien didn't understand why he felt compelled to protect the reputation of a girl he had known less an hour. "Look," he said, his voice softening as he removed the rose from his breast pocket. He took a few cautious steps toward her. "Take it," he said, holding the rose out to her.

"You think this makes us even?" she seethed, snatching the rose from his hand.

"Even for what? Come on, Beryl. Just come inside and let's talk."

"Keep your rose, _Prince_ Darien," she sneered, dropping the delicate flower, her eyes turning to steel before him. Darien shuddered as though he could feel the velvet petal graze the tip of his boot as it fell to the gravel. Her voice took on a second tenor and when she spoke, Darien could feel the ground quaking beneath his feet. "A war is coming, Earth Prince," she warned. "And no one will be spared!"

She vanished leaving nothing but a thick gray smoke in the place where she stood. Darien was shaken and he fell to his knees to collect the gift she rejected. His fingers trembled as he struggled to get the rose back into the breast pocket of his jacket.

….

A fire roared in the fireplace in Darien's bedroom as he stood before it holding a faded gray picture. His top hat was carelessly tossed to the floor and his mask sat on top of the mantle. An opened window sent a cool breeze floating into the room making the edges of his cape dance dangerously close to the flame. Carefully, Darien unfolded the picture. In it, a young boy stood next to a young girl beneath a pink flowering cherry tree. Their hair was tousled, their faces smudged with dirt, their knees grass-stained, but they looked happy. Remembering her words, Darien clenched his fist around the photograph and dropped it into the fire. The edges caught fast and soon the photograph was nothing but dust. A single tear fell from Darien's eye as he reached into his breast pocket to remove the blood-red rose. Despite the long night it spent smashed against his chest, it still retained its perfect shape. He closed his hand around the stem and hurled the rose with all his might across the room. It sliced through the air cutting like a fighter jet before finally coming to a stop in the wall. Darien stared, thunderstruck, at the rose, which had drilled into the granite, looking as though it sprung naturally from the stone, the spidery cracks webbing outward like roots. A hazy purple glow emanated from the perfect petals, a luminescence laced with both magic and horror.


	27. Chapter 26: Prophecy

**CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX:** Prophecy

"I can't believe you managed to pull this off," said Lita, her voice echoing off the metal walls of the long-abandoned weapons outpost built on one of Jupiter's smallest moons, Cyllene. "Saturnian technology is really amazing, I must say."

Titus smiled. "We've made incredible advances. After the divide, we realized we could no longer rely on Mercury to take care of upgrading our technologies for us so we began to build universities and invest significant resources in the sciences. This little gem is just one of the developments to come out of our efforts," said Titus, palming the small, rectangular device that, once installed on the hull, made Lita's jet invisible to radar detection. She had convinced her mother to let her fly to Venus for a much-needed vacation and then had switched trajectories as soon as she had left Jupiter's orbit. Untraceable, she rendezvoused with Titus on Cyllene.

"I must say, I'm a little surprised how easy it was for me to get here to set up camp," said Titus. "I would think crossing the line into Jupiterian airspace would be more difficult."

"I assume all your jets have those little stealth boxes, don't they?" Lita asked, unrolling a feather quilt along the floor.

"They do," said Titus. "Still. Would it kill you to put some personnel on border patrol?"

"Our current policy requires that the bulk of our resources goes toward defending the Armistice Line which, as you know, is effectively the asteroid belt between Jupiter and Mars. We are more concerned with the safety of our allied planets than our own," said Lita, matter-of-factly.

"It could be your undoing," Titus warned. He kneeled down onto the blanket, reached into his satchel, and pulled out a stack of papers.

"Is that a threat?" Lita challenged, playfully. Titus broke out into a smile.

"I wouldn't dream of challenging the undisputed leader in combat in all the galaxy!"

"I thought not," said Lita. She joined him on the blanket and looked over his papers with curiosity. "What's that?"

"This is what I brought you here to talk about," said Titus gravely. "It is a draft version of a formal resolution to seek reconciliation with the kingdoms of the Inner Alliance."

….

Kunzite grimaced as he looked around the table at his compatriots. They were supposed to be discussing the Prince while they ate their afternoon meal, but no one spoke. Kunzite had noticed his compatriots had been acting distant and distracted lately. They appeared unchanged, but they were different somehow. And it bothered him.

"Nephrite," he began, looking at his uniformed comrade. Nephrite slowly met Kunzite's gaze. "How is the Prince coming along in his training?"

"Passable," said Nephrite, without inflection. "The Prince has a natural aptitude for combat, but he cares nothing for practice."

"And Zoisite, his etiquette?"

"A few more lessons and he could dine with Serenity herself," said Zoisite, pushing peas across his plate with his fork aimlessly.

"And how was his presentation at the Masquerade Ball?" Kunzite pressed.

"He did well at first," said Zoisite, considering the question. "He was amiable, yet regal. Utterly charming with one of the young ladies. Then he disappeared for awhile and came back sullen and moody."

"Disappeared?" Kunzite repeated.

"He just went outside for a few moments. I figured he needed some air."

"What young lady was he dancing with?"

"I'm not sure," said Zoisite. "She didn't look familiar so I assume she's probably some distant relation to one of the courtiers."

"Hm," said Kunzite, making a notation in his file. "Perhaps it is time to start arranging some social salons on the Prince's behalf. We could begin to screen some of the noble-born young ladies for their Princess eligibility."

"Fine," said Zoisite.

"Jaedite," said Kunzite, turning to his left. "How is he coming in his lessons?"

Jaedite shrugged his shoulders. "He's a fine student when he cares enough to do his homework, which isn't often. He's intelligent, but mostly uninterested in academic pursuits."

"Are you tutoring him this afternoon?"

Jaedite shook his head. "No, I left him with some Mercurian texts on the pre-war civilization. As of this evening, I'm…I'm off planet until next week."

"Ah yes," said Kunzite. "Please give my best wishes to Her Majesty."

"I will," said Jaedite, not meeting Kunzite's eyes. Kunzite placed a sympathetic hand on his comrade's shoulder, but he could not keep his thoughts from wandering to Jaedite's soon-to-be-vacated seat on the Royal Council. _All in good time_, he promised himself.

….

Jaedite emerged from the shuttle craft nearly as soon as it touched down onto the soft red clay that made up much of the Martian terrain. Throughout the entire journey he had clung to the dark queen's promise that his life would be spared in exchange for his oath of allegiance. He looked up at the aged castle as a condemned man looking upon the gallows. In another life he would have found it beautiful and the Martians' adamant refusal to adorn their living spaces with ornate Venusian art and finery would have been refreshing to him. But all he could see as he nodded his hellos to Phobos and Deimos was a looming tomb.

….

Darien had never noticed the ornate woodwork that comprised his desk before. But now, faced with Jaedite's daunting homework assignment, little details that previously went unobserved were suddenly very interesting to him. A dusty, half-decomposed textbook lay open before him. The bookmarked page had an elaborate illustration of the ten queens of the galaxy sitting side by side in thrones in the arena on the Moon. His eyes lingered over Serenity the First. _Serena looks just like her_, he mused. _Same hair, same smile, same eyes._ He tipped his head up and looked out the opened window up at the moon, which hung low and large in the night.

A gentle rap on his door interrupted his daydreaming. "Come in," he called, turning to look. Zoisite poked his head in.

"I just wanted to give you a heads up, Your Highness. Kunzite has suggested we start planning social salons for the eligible ladies of the nobility. It is time for you to start thinking about marriage."

Darien groaned. "Zoisite, I have no interest in women at the moment."

Zoisite chuckled. "It didn't look like it at the Ball!" Darien glared at him. Zoisite winked and ducked out of Darien's room.

_Marriage_, thought Darien. _It just gets worse and worse._ He thought of the Masquerade Ball. It was true he had been having a good time before Beryl showed up. _Maybe it wouldn't be so bad_, he thought. _Settle down with someone nice. No more drama._

His thoughts drifted back to the girl at the Ball and he smiled in spite of himself. She smiled so often and laughed so easily. His only experience with women left him unprepared for that. He sighed and returned to his textbook and looked over the ten queens. Again his eyes fixed on Serenity.

Suddenly, the seedling of a thought started to take root in his mind.

"Wait a minute," he said aloud. He stared down at the picture and covered the top half of Serenity's face with his finger leaving only a small, heart-shaped mouth curled up in a triumphant smile.

He gasped as it dawned on him then. "She called me Darien."

….

"His Excellence Jaedite! Ambassador from the Temperate Kingdom of Earth!" Phobos heralded the arrival of Raye's chosen king triumphantly. As soon as he was within five feet of the princess, Phobos and Deimos made their bows and a quick exit.

Jaedite descended into a low bow and said, "It is an honor to see you again, Your Highness."

Raye let a slow smile spread across her lips as she gazed at the top of Jaedite's sandy-haired head. Slowly, he stood up and waited while she appraised him. Her eyes drifted up his body and locked onto his eyes. She drew in a sudden inhalation of breath. He appeared the same but changed somehow. His eyes which once sparkled with life now looked dull and dead. She couldn't look away. Visions danced in her head as he held her gaze. Her head began to throb. She tried to pull away from his stare, but an invisible force held her there. Suddenly, Jaedite began to speak:

"_All will live in peace and tranquility until the outcast returns to her ancestral home_."

His voice had dropped an octave and sounded as though two voices, neither his own, were speaking at once. Raye couldn't breathe. As she stared into those lifeless eyes, she felt as if a great black terror had reached out and was attempting to choke the life out of her.

"_And when the curse of the Gemini revisits the Moon, the end of days is nigh_."

Raye's eyes widened in terror and she tumbled out of her seat and onto the floor as the demonic voice continued to quote Scripture.

"_And by and by each Goddess will falter!_"

The floor seemed to dance and swirl underneath her. Her vision clouded and her head throbbed as a pulsing pain seared across her forehead. Tears welled at the corners of her eyes.

"_One will be sacrificed! One will be sacrificed! One will be sacrificed!_"

"Phobos!" she shrieked, covering her ears with both hands. But she couldn't drown out the chanting, which had grown in volume and urgency.

"_One will be sacrificed! One will be sacrificed! One will be sacrificed!_"

"DEIMOS!"

Then her vision went black.

….

"What happened!" Apollonia cried, in a rare showing of emotion as she touched the cheek of her daughter who lay cold in her bed.

"I'm afraid we don't know, Majesty," said Phobos, not daring to lift his chin. "We left the two of them alone and then barely five minutes later, we heard her screaming."

"We ran into the room," Deimos added. "But when we got there, they were both passed out cold. We have no idea what happened."

"Has anyone checked on the Ambassador?"

"I just came from the medical room," said Deimos. "He is up and taking water. He has no memory of what happened."

At this, Raye began to stir. Her eyes fluttered open.

"H-hello, Mother," she said softly, clearly surprised to see Apollonia in her bedchamber.

"Are you all right, child?" she asked, brushing Raye's ebony bangs away from her forehead.

"I—I think so," she murmured. Phobos stepped forward and held the back of Raye's head while he brought a small cup of water to her lips. She took a sip gratefully and leaned back on her pillow.

"What happened?" asked Apollonia.

Raye looked away. "I—I can't remember. I don't remember anything after Ambassador Jaedite entered the throne room."

It was the first lie she ever told.

….

Deimos wrung his hands nervously and exchanged a worried look with Phobos. Phobos had grown pale and was now delicately dabbing his forehead with a handkerchief.

"Princess," said Deimos carefully. "Are you absolutely certain about this?"

"I've made up my mind, Deimos," said Raye coldly, her body rigid in her throne. Her lavender eyes burned with determination.

"Princess," Phobos tried. "As your advisors, Deimos and I feel it is incumbent upon us to urge you to reconsider your decision. It could have disastrous effects on Earth-Mars relations."

"And I have heard you," said Raye. "I have made my decision. The matter is no longer up for discussion." Her tone took on a biting note and the edges of the symbol of Mars adorning her forehead began to glow. "Do it," she commanded.

Deimos swallowed the lump in his throat. He rolled up the scroll of parchment containing the Princess's decree. Phobos tipped over a small vial in his hand and dripped molten red wax onto the parchment. Deimos stamped the wax with the symbol of the House of Mars.

"It is done, Your Majesty," said Deimos, holding up the scroll. He and Phobos dropped to the floor and pressed their foreheads into the warm wood.

"Make sure the pronouncement goes out with the next Earth-bound shuttle craft," said Raye. Her advisors got to their feet, and made a hasty exit. Once they were gone, Raye dropped her head into her hands and wept uncontrollably.


	28. Chapter 27: Stealth

**CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN:** Stealth

All the inhabitants of Hadean Palace, royals and servants alike, walked around on eggshells. Anyone who saw Terrania coming down a corridor hurried to get out of her way and avoid eye contact. She thundered through the palace leaving terrified servants in her wake.

te

She had known the news was bad the minute Ambassador Jaedite returned home. He floated around the palace like a ghost and couldn't remember the details of his visit. One thing he was sure of, however, was that no wedding date had been set.

Not two days later, a grim messenger in a courier ship with the symbol of Mars stamped into its hull landed on Earth and delivered a scroll addressed to Terrania herself. Her blood boiled when she read that the Princess Mars was rescinding her request to marry Jaedite.

"Who does she think she is?" she roared at Kunzite.

"Does she intimate a reason for breaking the contract?" asked Kunzite, already knowing the answer.

"Of course not!" Terrania exclaimed. "She sends her regrets. I will not take this lying down, Kunzite, I will not!"

"Will you take it up with the Council?"

"And be seen to grovel before all the kingdoms? I will _not_!" said Terrania, clutching her fist around the arm of the oak throne in which she sat, roiling.

"Then what, Your Majesty?"

Terrania closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them again, she looked calmly down at Kunzite. "If the Holy Kingdom wishes to humiliate us, there are ways we can assert ourselves."

Kunzite had no idea what Terrania was insinuating, but one thing he was sure of was that he would not be claiming a seat on the Royal Council after all.

….

"So it's practically official then?" said Lita, staring over the beautiful, yet unfamiliar calligraphy of the Saturnian document.

Titus nodded gravely. "All four of the outer worlds are now in agreement that it is in our mutual best interest to be united once again with our sister worlds."

"And you want me to instruct our ambassador to the Royal Council to what? To seek reconciliation?"

Titus placed his hand over Lita's sending a shiver up her spine. "I only ask that you consider the idea. And if you decide independently that it is in the best interests of your people to reconcile, then yes. I just want you to consider all your options."

"Well," said Lita, in an adversarial tone. "What does Jupiter have to gain in reconciliation? Things are fine on our side of the line."

"It doesn't bother you that Jupiter alone must shoulder the burden of protecting the kingdoms of the Inner Alliance?"

He had her there. It didn't seem right that in any conflict it would be mostly Jupiterian blood spilled. "But it is our duty," she reasoned. "We don't know another life."

Titus leaned in closer. "Surely you have dreams for yourself? Dreams that don't consist of dying on some distant battlefield."

The remark caught Lita off guard. She frowned. "I—I suppose I never thought about it. It was always a given."

"What was?"

"That I would live long enough to sire an heir, pass on the Light, then die in service to my kingdom."

"'Sire an heir'?" he repeated. "You talk about having children as if it's paying taxes. Just something you're expected to do."

"Princesses don't exactly pay taxes, Titus," Lita reminded him.

"It's just an expression," said Titus, drily. "The point is, don't you want a family? Or do you just want to ensure your legacy?"

Lita blushed. "I'm not even thirteen, Titus! This conversation is entirely inappropriate."

Titus threw his head back and laughed. "You can't have it both ways, Princess. Either you're wise beyond your longer-than-average Jupiterian years, or you're just a pre-adolescent."

Lita opened her mouth to respond, but nothing came out. He had an annoying way of catching her off guard and then making a perfectly valid point. Lita's heart started to race again as he stared into her eyes. She willed herself to close her mouth. She looked ridiculous and she knew it. But she couldn't move. He leaned in slightly and his eyes started to fall closed. Then, as if realizing what he was doing, he snapped back to attention and coughed uncomfortably.

Lita regained her mental faculties at this point and scrambled to her feet. "I should be getting back," she whispered.

"Yes, me too," said Titus, standing and stuffing his hands in his pockets. He handed her the cylindrical canister that contained the document and she slung it over her shoulder. As she climbed into the cockpit of her shuttle, Titus called after her: "Lita?"

"Yes?"

"Maybe next time we could meet on Mimas? It's a small satellite just a few klicks in on my side of the line."

Lita felt her heart flutter in her chest. "Do you anticipate more sensitive matters of state to discuss?"

He flashed that brilliant grin of his. "Not particularly," he said. "But the view of the outer moons is spectacular from there."

….

As the tiny moon grew smaller behind her, Lita's swelled heart began to regain normalcy. Her flushed cheeks returned to their regular pallor. Her skin cooled. Something was bothering her. She couldn't quite put her finger on it. Her eyes drifted from the vast empty space in front of her to the flickering yellow light of the stealth device attached to the side of the hull of her ship. She pushed the thoughts out of her mind. _He's not the enemy_, she assured herself.

But the thought wouldn't go away. The childlike face of Princess Serena popped into her brain. Lita had sworn an oath.

Soon she found herself hurtling past the cloudy atmosphere of Venus and into Mercurian airspace. She clicked on her radio and thumbed her way to the direct line channel into the Palace of Mercury.

"You are on a secure line," came the crackly, but agitated voice on the other name. "Identify yourself."

"This is the Princess of the Citadel Kingdom, requesting permission to land within the confines of the Palace grounds. Security clearance code four-two-seven-eight-four."

"Oh, yes of course, Your Highness!" came the suddenly-alert voice on the other end. Lita pictured the young telecommunications technician suddenly straightening up in her chair as she realized to whom she was speaking. Lita rolled her eyes. "Runway seven is cleared for you, Princess. Landing crews have just been put on alert. They will guide you in."

"Thank you," said Lita. She switched off her radio and dimmed the console so she could make out the bright blue lights running the length of the runway easier. She expertly sailed down toward the icy blue planet. Frost began to collect at the corners of her windshield. Lita marveled at the ingenuity of Mercury's climatologists, which had managed to turn the galaxy's warmest planet into an icebox. She touched down with a slight jolt and rolled to a controlled stop. Instantly, her jet was swarming with ground support agents. She exited the jet and hopped to the ground. Someone threw a heat-insulating blanket over her shoulders and began to usher her toward the Palace.

"Just a moment, please," said Lita, turning back to her ship. She quickly scanned the hull and closed her fingers around the stealth device clicking it out of place. It came off easily into her hand and she shoved it into her pocket. "I'd like to see the Princess," she said to the nearest grounds officer.

….

"This is quite a surprise!" said Amy, not entirely sure whether she was pleased or merely perplexed to see her Jupiterian counterpart in her home.

Lita executed a quick bow and said, "My sincere apologies for dropping in like this, Princess."

"Not at all," said Amy, waving her hand. "I hope everything is all right?"

"Oh, yes, yes," said Lita, hurriedly. The young princess appeared nervous, as if she were unsure herself why she had landed on Mercury in the first place. "I wanted to—I wanted to show you something."

Amy waited patiently. Lita stuck her hand on her pocket and pulled out a small device, no bigger than a computer chip. "Please don't ask me where I got it," Lita whispered, closing Amy's fingers over the device.

Amy turned the device over in her hand and inspected the engravings. They were unlike anything she had ever seen. "All right," she said warily. "What is it?"

Lita's eyes darted around the room. "It's a stealth device. Slap one up on the hull of a ship and you're invisible to radar detection."

Amy gasped. She wanted more than anything else to ask her where she had gotten such a technological revelation if not from her own stores of high-tech gadgetry. But she had promised.

"I thought we could replicate it," Lita said, looking almost sheepish. _What is she hiding?_ Amy wondered.

"All right," said Amy, examining the device more closely. "I'll have a look in the lab and send it back to you once I've got the specifications down. Is that all right?"

Lita appeared relieved. "Great!" she said enthusiastically. "Well, I should get going. Again, I apologize for dropping in unannounced like this."

"It's nothing," said Amy. She was trying her best to sound reassuring, but she was impossibly distracted by the small wonder in her hands. She immediately regretted promising not to ask Lita where she had gotten it.

Lita bowed again and Amy followed suit, grateful that Lita almost immediately spun on her heels and left the throne room. A moment later, Amy could hear a raucous cheer erupt from outside the palace walls. She wondered how the news of the soldier princess's arrival had gotten out so quickly. She turned and headed down one of the sleek white halls that led directly to her personal laboratory. Lita's gift could not have come at a better time. She was desperate for a distraction from the wand project, which had all but consumed her thoughts ever since Princess Serena had rejected her request to use the Silver Crystal. Amy needed a new project.

….

"So close," Kunzite murmured, closing his fist with rage. His face burned a hot crimson and his ice blue eyes narrowed in fury. He saw his future disintegrating before his eyes. Jaedite would not be vacating his seat on the Royal Council after all. And Kunzite would remain the Prince's errand boy for the foreseeable future.

"Perhaps not," came a prickly voice behind him. Kunzite whirled around to see who had answered his unvoiced thought. He marveled at the form before him. She was exquisite and terrifying. Hair of fiery orange cascaded down her pale white body and concluded just below her womanly hips. An elegant purple dress clung to her body and she held a black staff in her right hand. She stood shrouded in a hooded cloak and spoke as through her throat held two voices. "I see great power in your future, Kunzite."

"Who—who are you?" he asked warily.

"I am Queen Beryl," she whispered. "And I can offer you power beyond any you could imagine. Beyond any known in this Universe."

Kunzite scoffed. "There is no power equal to that of Her Majesty the Queen Serenity."

Beryl's bony fingers tightened their grip around her staff and she pressed her crimson lips together in a grim line. "Join me, Kunzite. Join me, and Serenity will fall to her knees before you."

At this, her hair floated away from her body. Her eyes glowed red.

Kunzite's hand began to tremble. "Such words are treason," he said carefully.

"She will beg on her knees," said Beryl, maintaining her stare. "Her entire Kingdom will fall. Join me, Kunzite."

"I—I should have the guards apprehend you for such traitorous words," Kunzite replied, his voice shaking.

And then from behind him came a familiar voice: "Join us, Brother." Kunzite whirled around to find Jaedite, Zoisite, and Nephrite closing in on him. They approached shoulder to shoulder and in perfect lock step. Their eyes were dull and dark.

"Nephrite?" said Kunzite, putting his hands on the shoulders of his comrade. "What's she done to you?" He searched their faces for some sign of recognition. Finding none, he turned to face Beryl.

"I can give you power, Kunzite. I can give you immortality. Join us."

He felt himself slowly succumb. She came closer and reached out her hand and Kunzite took a tentative step forward. Her touch felt like a thousand knives of ice piercing his skull. The cold overtook him inch by inch, as if his very blood had turned to a series of Arctic tributaries. He screamed in agony and fell to the ground. And then – just as quickly as it had started – the pain was gone. He slowly rose to his feet and looked around at his surroundings with his new eyes. His vision was clearer, yet darker. The once-brilliant sheen of the palace now looked dull and ancient. But he found he could now see clearly into the shadowed glade that made up the perimeter. The trees, which were once a shapeless blur, he could now see in sharp detail. They reached out for him with branches outstretched like gnarled claws.

"Welcome, Kunzite," said Beryl. He turned to look at his Queen. "Open your tunic," she commanded.

Wordlessly, Kunzite unbuttoned his tunic to reveal a chiseled chest the color of pale sand. With a wave of her staff, Beryl sent a black bolt of energy directly into Kunzite's chest where it disappeared leaving only a black inverted crescent moon.

"Welcome, Brother," said Jaedite. The four turned in toward each other forming a small circle as Beryl looked on with satisfaction.

"You four are my Knights," she said. "And now the real work begins."

"I am at your service, my Queen," said Kunzite. Beryl turned and began to walk into the woods with her four Knights following dutifully behind her.

"What is your will?" asked Zoisite, obediently.

Beryl didn't turn. Facing the woods, her face set with purpose, she replied, "We must raise an army."


	29. Chapter 28: Inception

**CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT: **Inception

They gathered deep in the heart of the Permian woods cloaked in heavy black robes like a coven, Beryl at the center of their circle. She turned slowly making careful eye contact with each of them as she issued her orders. She was coming to find that she had chosen her first soldiers wisely.

"Stick close to the prince, Zoisite," said Beryl, icily. "I want to know everything he does."

"As you wish, my Queen," said Zoisite with a crisp bow.

"Jaedite, you must continue in your duties as Earth's representative on the Council. Your presence will no doubt make the ambassador of Mars uncomfortable. Their ire is an asset to us."

"Yes, my Queen," said Jaedite.

Beryl turned to Nephrite next. "Nephrite," said Beryl. "You will go to Venus. The first step is to raise an army. That is where it begins."

Nephrite raised an eyebrow. "The Venusians are not known for their military prowess, my Queen. Surely, Jupiter would be a better breeding ground for our foot soldiers?"

A sly smile twisted at the corners of Beryl's mouth. "Leave the Citadel Kingdom way out beyond the Line where it belongs. We shall have no cause to drag them into a fight."

Nephrite frowned. "Begging your pardon, my Queen," he said. "But they are the greatest fighting force our universe has known."

At this, Beryl merely laughed. "Fear not, Nephrite. We will have won this war without ever having engaged a single Jupiterian soldier in battle."

….

Darien paced his room with his hands behind his back pausing every once in awhile only to stare out his window at the moon looming large and magnificent in the sky.

"I need to see her again," he murmured.

"What was that, Endymion?" came a voice. Darien whirled around to find Terrania gliding through his doorway.

Darien felt his face grow hot at being discovered. "Oh, hello Mother," he said. "How are you?"

Terrania ignored the pleasantry and asked, "What are you staring at?" She cross the room and peered out the window. "Ah, the Moon is out in all her glory," she remarked.

Darien shifted uncomfortably on his feet. "Mother," he began. "Suppose somebody wanted to…I don't know…pay a visit to the Royal Court on the Moon? How would he – or she or whoever – go about that?"

Terrania smiled a knowing smile. "The Princess is very beautiful isn't she?"

Darien felt sure his face must have been the color of an eggplant. "I—I suppose she—I mean, yes, sure. I mean, yes—of course she is. But that's not why—"

Terrania placed a hand on Darien's shoulder to quell his stammering. "I think we can arrange something."

….

Tensions were high at the Martian court. Phobos nervously tapped his foot and wrung his hands as Deimos dabbed at beads of sweat collecting at his hairline with a purple handkerchief.

"Representatives from Earth are demanding to know the reason of the withdrawn marriage contract," said Phobos, his eyes darting nervously from side to side.

"Who are they to demand anything of me?" Raye replied, her voice laced with venom. Heat began to radiate from her skin and her advisors nervously took a step away from her. The temperature in the room began to rise. "A godless, Lightless people."

As the words bounded from her lips, Raye felt the familiar tremor of terror begin to shatter at her insides. She had seen Jaedite, seen deep within him. Her visions were a jumbled blur of images colliding inside her head in no discernible manner. But the terrible sense of foreboding was unmistakable. She could not put her finger on precisely what, but she was certain something terrible was coming.

….

When the cloud cover cleared, Nephrite could make out the lavish spires of the tallest temples of Aphelion City. The Venusian capital city looked as though it were paved in gold the way it sparkled and glittered in the sun. Everything about Venusian culture annoyed Nephrite: the vanity, the sloth, the hedonism, the disdain for discipline. But when Beryl issued the order, he was compelled to obey. His ship touched down gently onto a landing pad where ships were constantly coming and going.

….

Terrania could not believe her luck as she sailed through the corridors of the palace toward the throne room. She immediately bade a servant to summon Kunzite for an audience. Her son, the Prince of Earth, and the Princess Serenity! She could not have planned it better if she tried. What better way to fan the flames of Martian rage than an Earth-Moon alliance forged with the unbreakable bond of a royal marriage!

….

Nephrite ignored the stares thrown his way as he made his way through the hustle and bustle of the marketplace in Aphelion City. His eyes settled on the ordinary looking façade of what appeared to be an inn. He pushed his way through the door and marveled at the sight before him. Barely-clad men and women, some mere teenagers, draped all over one another with no regard for modesty. The room itself was a tribute to lavish luxury: exquisite tapestries depicting a long line of beautiful Venusian monarchs throughout the ages covered every wall. At the center of the back wall opposite the door was a life-size portrait of the current Princess Venus looking radiant, awash in an orange glow.

"Who are you, stranger?" asked the fair-skinned, pale-eyed blond behind the counter.

Nephrite held out his hand in the customary Earth greeting and raised his eyebrows in surprise as he felt the smooth palm of the young man who had clearly never lifted a track hoe in his life before him.

"A visitor," he replied. "I need a room."

The young clerk pushed a pen across the large guestbook toward Nephrite. "An hour? Two?" he asked.

Nephrite frowned. "I'll be staying indefinitely," he said curtly. He reached into his jacket pocket and withdrew a small bundle of gold coins. He placed the bag onto the counter and signed his name into the book. The clerk picked up the bag and glanced inside suspiciously.

"Oh!" he said, examining the contents. "Of course! Take the Julian suite at the top floor!" He presented Nephrite with an ornately designed key and smiled broadly. "It's our finest quarters. You should be quite at home."

"I doubt that," Nephrite muttered, quickly pocketing the key.

"Thank you for joining us here, Lord Nephrite," said the clerk, taking a glance at the guestbook. "Would you like a companion sent to your room?"

Nephrite pursed his lips before replying, "Send them all." The clerk looked up in surprise, but quickly collected himself as Nephrite placed yet another small bag of gold coins onto the desk. "And make sure they are discreet," he added.

"Yes, of course, my lord."

Nephrite averted his eyes as he passed the common room and ascended the stairs two at a time. He opened the door to the Julian suite and was instantly taken aback. It was luxurious, even by Venusian standards. Thickly woven bronze tapestries adorned the walls and the furniture was a rich mahogany. Kunzite had only just removed his jacket and hung it up in the small closet when there came a light rapping on the door. He quickly crossed the room and opened the door to discover seven petite blond girls, no more than twenty years of age, with enormous blue eyes smiling coyly up at him. He pulled the door aside and allowed them to enter one by one. They immediately made for the bed, a large four-poster made several inches higher than normal by thick, red comforters.

"What is it you would like of us, Lord Nephrite?" asked one of the girls, as she slowly tugged on her right sleeve.

"None of that," said Nephrite gruffly. "What I want from you is your attention. That and nothing more."

The girls cast sidelong glances at one another and shifted uncomfortably.

"I've paid handsomely for your time so it is up to me how to spend it," he said. He reached into his duffel and removed seven more bags of gold like the ones he left at the front desk. Wordlessly, he handed them out to each girl. "Now that I've got your attention," he said, "I want you to listen very carefully to what I have to say."

….

A chill wind blew through the familiar clearing in the woods of Permia. Beryl stood still, statuesque in the moonlight. She stared with vacant eyes at the looming, glowing orb hanging high in the night's sky.

"It won't be long," she whispered to the unseen force that was her ever-present companion.

_Worry not, Beryl_, breathed the voice. _They will aid in their own destruction._


	30. Chapter 29: Wildfire

**Chapter Twenty-Nine: **Wildfire

Terrania was positively tingling with anticipation. She never would have believed her brooding son would so willingly – and quickly – provide the solution to her realm's problems.

"Remember your etiquette, Endymion," Terrania reminded him as she saw him off in his shuttle craft.

"Yes, Mother," her son replied as he hoisted himself into the craft and buckled himself into a seat next to Zoisite.

"I will see that he represents the Temperate Kingdom to the best of his ability," said Zoisite, nodding to the Queen.

_Excellent_, Terrania thought. _We will be planning an engagement party before the next new moon!_

….

Mina's eyes fluttered awake as the cathedral bells chimed heralding the noon hour. She lay in the crook of Ravi's arm and smiled contentedly breathing in his aroma, a decadent blend of patchouli and vanilla. Her reverie was suddenly interrupted by a loud noise that sounded like metal crashing against metal.

"What's that?" Mina asked, looking up. Ravi wrinkled his nose and stirred awake. He gently kissed Mina's forehead and rose from her bed and went to the window. "What is it?" she asked again.

He pulled back the curtain allowing a rush of sunlight to flood the room. "People," he replied, shielding his eyes with the back of his hand.

Mina sat up in bed and reached for the silk robe cast haphazardly over her night table. She stepped onto the floor and tied the robe tightly around her body and joined Ravi at the window. Below, she could see a crowd of people had amassed at the brass gates of the palace. They were shouting and holding up signs with hastily-scrawled slogans.

"What are they doing?" Mina asked putting her arms around Ravi's narrow waist.

"They seem angry," Ravi remarked.

"I can't read their signs," Mina said. Ravi leaned out the window a little and squinted.

"One of them says…I think it's…it's something like, 'falso sanguine'?" Ravi furrowed his brows. "What does that mean?"

Mina frowned. "It means 'false blood.' In the ancient language."

"False blood?" Ravi repeated. "What does that mean?"

"I don't know," said Mina, chewing on her lower lip. "But they sound upset."

….

"It is wonderful to see you again, Darien," said Serena, blushing slightly as the Earth prince rose after his customary bow.

"The pleasure is mine, Princess," he replied. "This is my advisor – and chaperone – Zoisite."

Zoisite descended into a perfect bow before the Princess and rose so slowly, Darien was afraid he was going to fall over.

"Thank you for coming, Lord Zoisite," said Serena respectfully. "This is Luna, one of my mother's advisors."

"Yes, of course," said Zoisite. "How do you do?"

Luna nodded at Zoisite as he bowed again.

"Shall we continue to the salon?" Luna suggested.

Luna and Zoisite made polite conversation as the led the way. Serena looked down at her clasped hands as Darien stole quick glances at her profile. Once in the salon, Luna and Zoisite took seats at the tea table next to the door while Serena led Darien as far away as they could get without leaving the room. They sat in a window seat that overlooked the promenade below and the Earth hanging large and luminous in the late-afternoon sky.

"When I asked my mother if she could arrange a visit between us, I didn't realize she would be sending a chaperone along with me," said Darien, apologetically.

Serena smiled. "It is custom. But there are ways around custom, you know." She had a devilish twinkle in her eye that Darien found exceedingly charming.

Suddenly, Queen Serenity, flanked by Artemis came bursting into the room in an agitated hurry. Darien scrambled to his feet and clumsily tumbled into an inelegant bow. Serenity didn't seem to notice him.

"Luna," she said brusquely. "We need you in my rooms immediately." Serenity disappeared without acknowledging her daughter or anyone else in the room.

Luna looked at Zoisite, embarrassed. "I beg your pardon, my Lord," she said. "I regret I must take my leave."

Zoisite nodded politely and Luna left the three of them in stunned silence.

Serena furrowed her brow. "I wonder what could be wrong?"

….

"Amazing," Amy marveled as she inspected the jewel-like component parts of the tiny sphere which lay sprawled out on her lab table. She picked up a tiny orb, no bigger than a beach pebble, with long tweezers and stared at it. It was the only component utterly unfamiliar to her. She gave it a little squeeze and was surprised when the tiny ball compressed just a little bit. Amy turned to her toolkit and removed a syringe with a fine tipped needle. She plunged it carefully into the tiny ball and smiled when a tiny bit of yellow liquid came out. Excitedly, Amy smeared the liquid onto a glass slide and quickly placed it into the viewing tray of her high-powered microscope and peered through the lens. After adjusting the focus again and again, Amy finally gasped as a clear picture of the liquid magnified one thousand times took shape on the slide.

"Whoa," she whispered. "What _is_ this stuff?"

….

"How could they have found out!" Serenity raged, pacing violently back and forth in her bedchamber while Luna and Artemis merely watched helplessly.

"I cannot say, Highness," said Artemis, his insides wrenching.

"The only people who knew are either in this room or dead," said Luna, shaking her head. "Besides the monarchs of Venus and they have the most to lose of anybody with the secret out."

"They were to have told the Venusian populace that some distant, but still high-born, relation had given birth to the Princess. Is it possible someone did some digging and uncovered the truth?" asked Serenity, wringing her hands.

Artemis raised his palms and shrugged his shoulders. "It seems unlikely, Highness. Even if someone had gone poking around, and discovered that the Princess did not come from a Venusian relative, how could they have possibly discovered the twinned birth?"

"So this news just fell upon the populace out of nowhere then?" Serenity asked, losing patience.

"What about the officer?" Luna piped up. "The one who carried out the execution warrant?"

Artemis shook his head. "He knew only that the midwife had been sentenced to death for the crime of high treason. Obviously, I never told him the real reason she had to die."

"Then there is only one answer," said Serenity, grimly. Luna and Artemis looked first to each other and then to the Queen. "The midwife must have sent word out to someone before she was executed."

Luna buried her face in her hands while Artemis placed a hand on her shoulder.

Serenity sat down, calm for the first time since she had heard the news. "All right," she said softly. "We must track down her next of kin."

….

"It's working, my Queen," said Nephrite. "The seven companions have spread the rumor like wildfire. The people are starting to believe it."

"And why shouldn't they?" Beryl said bitterly.

"It surprises me is all," Nephrite shrugged. "A few whispered words and suddenly everyone is a believer? It seems too easy."

"The truth is more powerful than any weapon I could devise," said Beryl simply, staring at Nephrite with stony determination.

Nephrite furrowed his brow. "But…it's a rumor. Designed to agitate the Venusians against the royal household and stir Mars to official action?" And even as he said the words, the truth of the matter began to settle over him.

"Look inside yourself, Nephrite," said Beryl, her voice taking on the two-toned tenor she used when the other one was inside her. "You know it to be true. You knew it the day you plunged your blade into the aging midwife. You knew she had committed no crime so heinous it could not be tried in open court. You knew when you killed her. You knew she knew something she couldn't be allowed to know."

Nephrite's eyes remained opened, but his vision grew black. He couldn't see and he began to panic. Suddenly, the blackness cleared and it was as if he was transported back to that day so many years ago.

The woman had begged him. She stared into his eyes and searched for his soul as she pleaded for her life.

_Please, sir!_ she had begged. _I'll never tell anyone! I swear I'll never tell a soul!_

And Nephrite knew that Beryl was right. Deep down he knew in his heart that this woman was guilty of no crime. But she was a witness. A witness to an event that the public could never be allowed to know.

"What my mother knew threatened Serenity's precious universe," said Beryl, bitterly, her eyes burning red. "And now my mother has returned to guide me in my quest. She has given me power from the beyond that I have shared with you and your brothers-at-arms." Beryl let her purple cape fall off her bare shoulders, her skin impervious to the winter chill that had settled over the woods. "Serenity could not bear to lose her perfect world, her power," she continued. "She kept the secret from a kingdom that had the right to know."

"And she used me to keep that secret," said Nephrite.

"And now we will use that secret to bring her to her knees."


	31. Chapter 30: Dissent

**CHAPTER THIRTY:** Dissent

Mina was hardly ever alone. When she was younger, she was surrounded by family members and tutors. When she got older, she had friends and companions. But on this day she sent even Ravi away, her favorite. She absconded to the High Tower and locked the door behind her. It used to be an old servants' quarters but it had fallen into disuse. Mina shuffled along the wooden rafters toward the window seat. The shouts for her head were somewhat muffled from up there.

A large piece of furniture covered with a dusty tapestry caught her eye. It was enormous. Mina reached up and yanked the covering and sent it falling to the floor. A cloud of dust exploded from the tapestry sending Mina into a coughing fit. When she finally cleared her lungs, she looked up at what she had uncovered. It was a mirror encased in an elaborate, ornately-sculpted stone frame. Judging by the designs, Mina figured it was more than a hundred years old. But it was still in reasonably good shape. Mina stood back and examined herself. Golden hair that cascaded in voluminous waves down her shapely body and came to a stop at the small of her back. Eyes bluer than a summer sea. Skin fair and shimmering as if infused with tiny diamonds. By all accounts, she was staring at a Venusian.

But it wasn't so.

"My whole life is a lie," she whispered to her reflection. She was by right a Moon princess. Granted, a second-born, and therefore heir to nothing significant.

But her mother – her natural mother – had given her away. No, sent her away! Banished her to a foreign world!

Mina squeezed her eyes shut tight to fight the flow of stinging hot tears that were building up against the backs of her eyelids. She loved her family. She loved her realm. And she had thought they loved her back. But they gathered at the palace gates every day now shouting ugly things in her direction, carrying hastily-scrawled signs that read, "Death to the blood traitor!", "Serenity's Sire Back to the Moon!", and some other more vulgar things. Mina couldn't believe how her people could turn on her so quickly. They believed she knew the secret of her birth and that she had deliberately deceived them.

And the swarm outside the palace gates grew larger by the day.

….

"Darien, this was a lovely idea," said Serena as she let her hand dangle over the side of the small wooden boat. It was early evening and they were floating aimlessly in the middle of the Eastern Sea. Hundreds of other like-minded couples floated nearby and the sea was alight with the flickering of hundreds of paper lanterns.

"I figured even Zoisite wouldn't insist on joining us in a two-person boat." Darien looked out toward the shore and chuckled as he saw Zoisite sitting on the dock, not even pretending to watch them as he pored over a gossip magazine.

"Luna probably would," said Serena, "but something has got everyone occupied in my mother's chambers."

"Must be important if they're leaving you alone with the likes of me," said Darien grinning.

"They never tell me anything that's going on in the kingdoms," said Serena. Darien couldn't tell if she regretted that fact or not.

"Me neither," he said, to reassure her. "And that's fine by me. I never imagined myself much of a leader."

"Darien," she said suddenly. "Can I ask you a question?"

Darien shrugged. "Sure." Her face looked so serious Darien put down the oars and put his hands on his knees and leaned forward, giving her his full attention.

"Why did you come to see me?"

Darien was caught off guard. Her sea-blue eyes were earnest and her hands were clasped in her lap. She looked genuinely curious. For a moment, Darien was tempted to concoct a story about his desire to acquaint himself with matters of diplomacy and interplanetary politics in order to ready himself for the office he would someday occupy as the King of Earth. But as he started speaking, he found he was unable to lie to her.

"You came to the Masquerade Ball," he said pointedly. It was almost an accusation. Serena didn't reply. "And I didn't know it was you at first." More silence. "But then I figured it out. And after that I couldn't stop thinking about you…" He felt his face grow hot at the admission. But Serena only smiled. Darien went on: "I had fun with you that night, but when I realized that you were who you were I thought, wow. Here this girl is heir to, well, everything, and she'll still come down and party like anyone else. I would think most princesses would need an entourage. And they certainly wouldn't keep their presence a secret." Serena didn't respond and Darien felt compelled to fill the void with words. "I mean, Princess Venus doesn't go anywhere without forty pros—ah, _companions_—following her. Princess Mars doesn't really talk to anybody if she can avoid it. When Princess Mercury does talk to you, she starts going on about all these complex things no one normal can understand. And Princess Jupiter—well, I don't like hanging around with little girls who can beat me up."

At this, Serena exploded with laughter. It was the most beautiful sound Darien had ever heard.

….

Raye's heart pounded as she pored over the Millennium Scroll. Her face was only inches from the tattered parchment. She read the verses over and over. She didn't need to. She had had the Millennium Scroll nearly memorized since she was about eight years old. But something had pulled her deep into the tombs below the Temple of Apollo. She needed to look at the ancient text again.

"One will rule in a foreign world," she read. _Mina_.

"One will die before her time." _Callista_.

And once again her mind flooded with the image of Jaedite before her in the throne room, speaking as if possessed by a demon. _One will be sacrificed! One will be sacrificed! One will be sacrificed!_

His words had haunted her dreams for months now.

"It's happening," she whispered. "It is the end."

….

Elsewhere in the Moon Palace, the Royal Council was on edge.

"A twinned birth? From the House of Serenity?" Tharsis cried springing out of his seat, despite the toll it took on his aging joints.. "Why were we never told?"

"One can take a guess," Calorin muttered, gently fingering the symbol of the House of Mercury stitched into the cuff of his tunic. Tharsis glared.

The representatives were seated around a handsome stone table. Jaedite and Tharsis sat directly opposite one another, both coldly refusing to speak directly to one another or to even make eye contact. Serenity sat perched in the high seat at the center of the room away from the others, symbolizing her role as separate from, and ultimately superior to, the representatives of the other worlds. It wasn't often that she interjected her thoughts into the Royal Council sessions, but she feared it was unavoidable on this day.

Avana looked ashamed. "Her Majesty the Queen Aphrodinia saw fit to keep me in the dark."

"I consider this a personal affront to the Holy Kingdom that we were never told about such a momentous event!" said Tharsis.

"I said I didn't even know about it, Tharsis!" Avana exclaimed.

"It was my decision to keep the twinned birth a secret," said Serenity softly.

Tharsis took his seat again, red with rage. "Begging your pardon, Majesty," he said through gritted teeth, "but an event like that is of great import to all the Allied Kingdoms, not least of all the Holy Kingdom. Your Majesty doesn't need to be told what the significance is."

"I do not, Lord Tharsis," Serenity conceded, her voice firm. "But I considered it a personal matter and not a matter of politics."

Avana and Calorin cast sidelong glances at each other.

"Well," Tharsis continued. "I think this event lends even more strength to our perennial resolution, that we seek reconciliation with our sister worlds of the Outer Alliance. We must protect ourselves in these dark times."

Adrastes cleared his throat. "Actually, now that my colleague from Mars brings it up, Jupiter is prepared to entertain debate on the subject."

The statesmen stared. At first no one spoke. Then all at once:

"Adrastes!"

"What brought this on!"

"You are joking!"

Even Tharsis was stunned silent.

Adrastes, all eyes on him, stood and said, "The Princess feels that the Council should at least begin to consider the issue of reconciliation."

"But why?" Calorin sputtered.

"Because," said Adrastes, feeling slightly perturbed at the onslaught, "the Citadel Kingdom bears the brunt of the burden of protection throughout the Inner Alliance."

"The Dark One will return," said Tharsis sternly.

Adrastes blanched. He did not relish the thought of being on the same side of a political issue as the Holy Kingdom, but he was bound by his Princess's request. "I have been instructed that – if it comes to a vote – Jupiter will vote for reconciliation."

Avana sat back and stared at Adrastes, perplexed, though secretly he was relieved the conversation had been diverted from the troubles of the Enchanted Kingdom. Tharsis looked equal parts agitated and smug.

"Lord Calorin, what does the Enlightened Kingdom have to say on the issue?" Serenity asked.

Calorin shrugged. "While I haven't been given any formal instructions, the matter never having been up for serious consideration before, I would have to say that Mercury feels reconciliation is inadvisable."

"Why?" Tharsis challenged. "Mercury has never been clear on the subject."

"As I said," continued Calorin, narrowing his eyes, "the subject has never been up for any _serious_ consideration. But my instinct is that I and my countrymen, as well as my most enlightened Princess, feel that our allied kingdoms are better off separate from our outer world counterparts. Our cultures are completely alien to theirs and vice versa. The Saturnian temperament is anathema to our system of government. A smaller group of worlds is easier to govern, and is more easily defended."

"All excellent points," Avana chimed in.

"Excuse me, my most enlightened colleague," said Tharsis, his voice dripping with sarcasm, "but as the current law stands, contact with our sister worlds on the other side of the line is forbidden and has been since the Armistice. Who is to say what the Saturnian temperament of today is?"

As Tharsis squared off against Calorin, he looked to Adrastes for help. Adrastes said nothing.

Serenity turned then to Jaedite, who had been noticeably silent throughout the proceedings. "Lord Jaedite. How does the Temperate Kingdom feel on the subject of reconciliation?"

Jaedite paused. After feigning a moment's consideration, he replied, "The Temperate Kingdom has no cause to disrupt what has been a happy existence since the Armistice. We do not support reconciliation."

"I see," said Serenity. "And you, Lord Avana?"

Avana sighed. "The Enchanted Kingdom abstains from any sort of declaration at this time, Majesty. We need to get our own House in order."

"Do you require our assistance?" asked Adrastes.

"I think armed soldiers on the streets is a pre-cursor to civil war," said Avana softly. "I greatly appreciate your offer, but no thank you, not at this time. We intend to resolve our civil conflict on our own."

"We are here should you need us," said Adrastes.

"Lords," Serenity said. "It seems we stand at two kingdoms for reconciliation, two against, and one abstention. Lord Avana, next time the council meets, I will expect the Enchanted Kingdom to stand up on the issue, one way or another."

….

Raye looked up when she heard a series of short knocks coming from her door. She gathered her robes and stood up. "You may enter," she called.

A short, balding man who must have been nearing eighty years old shuffled in. He was hunched over and laden down with a canvas sack in which he carried quills, inks, sealing wax, matches, and parchment. With his gazed fixed on the bare, wooden floorboards below his feet, the scribe said softly, "You sent for me, Highness?"

"Yes," said Raye. "Set up your things over there. I will need to you take a letter."

He bowed and moved toward where Raye gestured—a large desk set up under the window. He spread out a piece of parchment and placed an inkwell in the top right corner of the desk. He withdrew a long, feathered quill, dipped it in the inkwell and nodded slightly, indicating he was ready.

"To The Most Honored and Divine Princesses: Amalia of the Enlightened Kingdom of Mercury, Minerva of the Enchanted Kingdom of Venus, and Litania of the Citadel Kingdom of Jupiter. And to the Supreme Ruler of the Allied Kingdoms Princess Serenity."

Raye paused. She suddenly felt a pang of guilt. It wasn't that she didn't like the Earth prince, but the Scrolls simply did not allow her to acknowledge him. They were clear that only a female heir could rule a heavenly body. She would therefore address no official correspondence to him. She continued:

"The Scrolls of Scylla tell our history and they foretell our collective future. Events have recently come to light signaling that we have entered the end of days."

At this, the Scribe looked up. Fear filled the old man's eyes.

"Watch your eyes, Scribe," Raye chastised gently. He immediately looked down again at the parchment.

"The Millennium Scroll states: '_And when the curse of the Gemini revisits the Moon, the end of days is nigh_.'" she continued. "We of the Holy Kingdom believe that with the revelation of the twinned birth, as well as the coming to pass of at least two of the Goddess Falters verses, the Dark One has returned. With her return comes the end of life as we know it." Raye paused. Then, resolutely: "At this time I request your presence at the Temple of Apollo to witness a reading of the sacred flame which I intend to perform three weeks hence. Your devoted servant, H.R.H. Rayana, Princess of the Holy Kingdom of Mars."

Raye waited while the scribe finished transcribing her words. When he was done, he sat back and, keeping his eyes affixed to the floor, held out the quill. Raye accepted it and signed her name with an elegant flourish.

"See that a copy of this letter reaches the Houses of the Moon, Mercury, Venus and Jupiter," said Raye. "And make haste."


	32. Chapter 31: Distraction

**CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE:** Distraction

Amy marveled as she examined the brilliant yellow goo that absorbed the light in the room and reflected a smattering of golden orbs of light back onto the walls. She had managed to replicate the material she found inside the stealth device and was shocked to discover that it contained a biological component.

"What are you?" she murmured as she examined the substance. She stared through the lens of her electron microscope and watched the cells float about on the slide as if taking part in a hypnotic dance. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. "What is it?" she asked exasperatedly.

"A letter for you, Highness," said Viola, sticking her head in.

"Break the seal," Amy said impatiently.

Viola did as she was told and read the letter aloud.

Amy shook her head violently. "Please respond that I am in the middle of a potentially world shaking discovery. I absolutely cannot travel all the way to Mars to engage in hocus pocus."

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Obviously, put it in more stately terms than that."

"Yes, of course, Your Highness." And with a slight bow, Viola exited leaving Amy alone again in the lab.

Amy switched on her tape recorder and spoke her findings aloud: "It appears that the yellow matter contains an organic life form resembling some kind of bacteria. It looks to be the result of selective genetic work. The DNA sequence contains a mutation on a particular gene responsible for reaction to external stimuli. When exposed to certain electrical stimuli, the organism secretes a plasma that absorbs the wavelength rather than allowing it to bounce back to whatever device emitted the electricity. I think this is how it manages to shield ships from radar detection. It only seems to have a radius of about twenty feet so multiple specimens would be needed to obscure a larger vessel…"

Amy trailed off. Her brain was working so fast she could barely form a single coherent thought. "I wonder," she murmured. She flicked the recorder off, thought a moment, and then turned it back on again. "Next phase will involve a series of light experiments. I will attempt to re-sequence the DNA of the subject organism to see if it can respond in a similar way to light stimuli."

A tingle started to creep up the back of Amy's neck. She held up the beaker and smiled at it, satisfied. "Let's see if you can absorb light, my little friend."

….

Evening was fast approaching and Zoisite was growing weary of waiting on the docks while his charge flirted several hundred yards away on the lake with the young princess. But he had his orders. He would stay close to the prince and report his every move.

"Pardon me, Lord Zoisite," came a voice from behind him. Zoisite looked up to find a servant with a letter in his outstretched hand.

Zoisite received the letter and looked over the front. "I will make sure Her Highness gets this."

The servant nodded and turned to leave. When he was gone Zoisite inspected the front of the letter. He looked out on the lake. The young Endymion had just said something to amuse the Moon Princess it seemed. Zoisite looked over his shoulder. Seeing no one, he quickly broke the seal and read over the letter. A twisted smile curled at his lips and he refolded the letter and slipped inside his jacket pocket.

….

His emerald eyes were partially obscured by his sandy hair. Without realizing her body was acting, Lita raised her hand and brushed his hair out of his face. He took her slender wrist in his hand and rubbed her palm with his thumb. She drew her face closer to his and waited. He looked in her eyes and looked away quickly.

"Lita," he began.

"Don't say it," she whispered.

"I can't."

Suddenly, they were interrupted by a loud blaring noise coming from Lita's belt. Titus quickly stood up and reached into his canvas back for a canteen of water. Lita picked up the communicator and glared at it. She switched on the radio and barked, "What is it!"

"Urgent letter for you from the House of Mars."

"What's it say?" Lita didn't bother to mask the agitation she was feeling at the interruption of her private moment with Titus.

"It's under seal, Your Highness. No one has opened it."

"You have my permission to break the seal," Lita said, rolling her eyes.

"As you wish, Your Highness." There was a pause on the other end.

Lita muted her side of the conversation and said to Titus: "The Princess is probably just conveying her eternal gratefulness at my sudden – but no doubt very well-considered – decision to support her cause."

"That's nice of her," said Titus, grinning. Lita put the communicator down on a work bench and sat back down on the blanket. She gestured wordlessly to the spot next to her, beckoning Titus to sit down.

The voice at the other end of the communicator began to read the letter: "_To The Most Honored and Divine Princesses_…"

Titus laughed and playfully tickled Lita. "So _divine_," he said mockingly.

Lita rewarded him with a smack on the arm which resulted in a brief tussle which ended only when Lita heard the voice on the other end of her radio say: "Your Highness?"

Lita scrambled over to the work bench, picked up the radio, and turned off the mute switch. "Yes?" she asked, swatting at Titus as he reached over to untie the laces of her boots.

"How would you like to respond?"

Lita grimaced. "Just send her something generic like, '_the Citadel Kingdom promises its everlasting protection to the Holy Kingdom and its most exalted Princess_.'"

"And will you accept her invitation?"

_Uh oh_, Lita mouthed to Titus. _What invitation?_ She refused to admit to the radio operator she hadn't been listening. "Invitation," she repeated.

"To Mars in three weeks?"

"What? No, no way," said Lita, making a face. "Decline politely. Tell her I'm busy at the border."

"As you wish, Your Highness."

Lita switched off the radio. "Now," she said, settling in on the blanket next to Titus. "Where were we?"

Titus smiled. "We weren't anywhere. And that's where we'll stay."

Lita pursed her lips into a fake pout. She touched his collar and gave it a little tug to try to pull his face closer to hers. But he turned away and grabbed her wrist in his hand.

"I want to do this right," he said firmly. "Through the proper channels."

"And what are those?" said Lita, frowning.

"When the reconciliation is fully effected. When you're of age. When we're married."

Lita gasped. "Married?" she squeaked.

Titus nodded gravely. "That's how it's done in my kingdom. Until then…" He switched his grip from her wrist and turned his hand until her fingertips were encased by his. He brushed his lips lightly across her knuckles. An electric charge raced up Lita's spine.

"Until then," Lita agreed.

….

With Darien and Zoisite on the Moon and Nephrite on Venus directing the efforts of the companions, the Earth palace felt desolate. Jaedite and Kunzite sat together in a salon.

"Brother Nephrite has sent word that things are going well on Venus. The companions have spread the word far and wide of the Princess's true birth. Now there are stories of ancient prophecies and conspiracies reaching the ears of even the Venusian nobility," Kunzite commented.

"Conspiracies?" said Jaedite, taking a small sip of tea.

"About Serenity's grand plan to make the Alliance over in her image."

"How interesting," said Jaedite dully.

"Venusian subjects are taking it quite to heart."

"Why do you think we recruited Venusians in the first place?" said Jaedite. "Their interests are never more complex than what they see in front of the mirror. That makes them easy to brainwash."

Kunzite raised an eyebrow.

Jaedite continued: "Think about it. Mercurians are far too discerning and analytical to allow their minds to bend to the will of the Dark Crystal. And so are Martians, in their own way. Their minds are too filled with their devotion to the exclusion of other ideas."

"So you're saying Venusians are weak."

"Weak-_willed_," Jaedite corrected. "But so very passionate. And as we've seen, quite vain. They are so threatened by the Princess Mina's lack of Venusian blood because it is a slight against their vanity. They really were the perfect people to begin the effectuation of our plan."

Kunzite shrugged. "I guess the seven companions have done well enough with Brother Nephrite's guidance," he said. "He writes that the Princess is set to address her people at midday today. Our operatives will be strategically placed in the crowd."

….

Mina had put on her best dress, a lacy number that hugged her body in all the right places. Affixed to the apex of her head was a finely woven crown of Venusian cord. It had come with Earth-imported daisies interwoven throughout, but Mina ripped them out unceremoniously, despite their cost, for fear of further alienating herself from her people. On this day nothing would touch her body but that which was Venusian-crafted.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" said Aphrodinia, lightly brushing Mina's bangs out of her eyes. Her daughter's eyes retained none of the carefree brilliant sparkle they once had, but were now hardened and gazed off into the distance as a servant girl brushed out her long, golden locks.

"I must do it," said Mina, softly. "They need to know that I am still their Princess."

"Their ire will fade, my love." Aphrodinia took the brush from the servant and resumed brushing Mina's hair. She brushed and brushed until it shone like woven gold.

"What if it doesn't?"

There was a knock at Mina's bedroom door then. The servant girl rushed over and opened the door to reveal one of the footmen holding a silver tray with a letter on it.

"What is it?" Mina asked absent-mindedly.

"A sealed letter from the House of Mars," he replied.

Mina pursed her lips. "I have no desire to learn about how I am the harbinger of the end of days, get rid of it!"

"Yes, Highness," he said, and disappeared.

Aphrodinia placed her hands on Mina's shoulders and turned her around so they were face to face. "It is almost the noon hour. Are you ready?"

"I am," said Mina gravely. Her mother nodded and went to the balcony window and unlatched the doors. As they swung open, sunlight poured in and with it came the shouts of the massive crowd of citizens below. Mina gathered her skirts, lifted her chin, and walked out on the balcony. Mina raised her hands and bowed her head and waited. Finally, the shouts of the crowd abated. She lifted her head once more.

"Good people of Venus!" she began. "I am now and have ever been yours. I swear on the divine Light of Venus and the Imperium Silver Crystal that I learned the truth of my birth with you. I have never kept a secret from you!" She took a breath. It seemed they were listening. She continued: "I love you – all of you – with all my heart. I know no other home but this one. It pains to know that my blood is not Venusian, but you must believe that I would spill every last drop of it to protect this world!"

For a moment, the crowd was silent. Mina felt herself grow hopeful for a moment. It seemed they were listening. Then someone from below shouted something she couldn't make out. It was followed by a roar from the crowd. Then a rock came sailing through the air and smashed into the column just inches away from her face.

….

Serena walked Darien to his ship with Zoisite trailing a respectful, but still close distance behind.

"I had a lovely time with you these past few days," she said brightly.

Darien turned to face her. "Maybe next time we can rendezvous on Earth?"

Serena smiled and nodded, her face turning pink. "I would love to see the countryside."

"I'll arrange it then. Write me and let me know when would be convenient for you."

She turned her heart-shaped face up toward him and Darien had to resist every urge he had to kiss her right there. Zoisite was looking away, pretending to be interested in something in the distance.

"Farewell, Prince Darien," said Serena. She bowed her head ever so slightly. He returned the gesture and climbed into the open hatch of the ship. Zoisite bid his formal goodbyes to the Princess and joined Darien on board.

"A nice trip, Highness?" said Zoisite, when the door had closed and the ship was rising above the ground.

But Darien didn't hear him. His face was pressed to the window as he watched his Princess grow smaller with each passing second.

….

Raye balled her fists and quaked with rage. The symbol of Mars burned bright in the center of her forehead threatening to expel a rush of flames.

"None of them will come!" she exclaimed. "Heathens, all of them!" She paced violently back and forth across the throne room. "Not even the courtesy of a response from Venus or the Moon!"

"The Princess Serenity has not responded?" said Apollonia.

Raye sneered. "From what I hear, she's _entertaining_ the Earth prince these days."

"Goodness," said the Queen.

Raye felt the heat of her Light begin to burn at her fingertips. "I cannot believe how indifferent the Alliance leadership is!"

"What did the Princess Jupiter say?"

Raye seethed. "Something about pledging eternal protection of the Holy Kingdom." Raye shook her head. "She can't help it. She's a child and it's in her nature to fight. The end will be upon us and she'll die in battle. She doesn't understand that we cannot fight what is already ordained in the Scrolls. But the rest of them!"

"Calm yourself, daughter," said Apollonia. "The other worlds' hostility to our faith is nothing new. The end is upon us whether they wish to acknowledge it or not. The only thing that you must decide is if you are prepared to do what needs to be done."

Raye froze.

"You know to what I am referring, Rayana," her mother said gravely. "You have had the vision. You have seen what the Earth demon has foretold."

Raye forced herself to meet her mother's eye. She narrowed her eyes and lifted her chin and said: "I will fulfill my destiny."


	33. Chapter 32: Shadow

**CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO:** Shadow

"What have you found?" Serenity demanded as Artemis approached, his arms laden down with rolls of parchment and official-looking military records.

"Not much, I'm afraid, Your Majesty," said Artemis. "The midwife – her name was Helia – left an elderly mother and two-year-old daughter behind. There is a death certificate for the mother and records for the child's transfer to Hadean House, which is an orphanage in Earth's capital city. She was adopted by a farmer and went to live in the Permian District. She left at age eighteen and then…" he trailed off.

"And then what?" Serenity prodded.

"And then nothing, I'm afraid. There are no records of her since she left her home. No marriage certificate, no death certificate, no interplanetary travel, nothing. It's as though she doesn't exist."

"How odd," said Luna.

"Well don't stop looking, Artemis," said the Queen. "I want to know if she is the source of the leak."

Artemis hesitated.

"Do you disagree with my plan of action?" asked Serenity, raising an eyebrow.

Artemis cast a glance at Luna. Her expression remained blank. "Well, it's just that…suppose she is the source of the leak. It doesn't change the fact that the secret is out. I just don't see that combing the ends of the Earth looking for this inconsequential maiden is a productive use of our resources at this time. We should get our governments in order, then when things are back to normal we can seek her out to answer for her actions. If indeed she is guilty."

Serenity opened her mouth to respond and then shut it again as if thinking Artemis's words over. Finally, she sighed and said: "I suppose you are right. She doesn't matter. I'm just angry and looking for someone to blame."

….

Darien took a deep breath when he set foot on the cool earth of his home world. He had missed the smells of smoke and pine.

"Jaedite!" said Darien gaily, greeting his aide with a hearty clap on the shoulder. Jaedite looked taken aback at the prince's bright mood.

"I take it your trip to the Moon went well?" he said, assisting Zoisite with Darien's luggage.

"Exceedingly well," said Darien, slinging a shoulder bag across his back. "How were things around here?"

"Your mother requests an audience with you when you get settled," said Jaedite. They headed back into the palace where Darien greeted every serving maid and footman with a brilliant smile and a hello.

Darien dropped his bag in his room and let Zoisite put his things away while he went off in search of his mother. He found her sitting in her drawing room reading a newspaper. The front page was angled toward him and he could see the headline: Princess Venus Narrowly Avoids Attack!

"Good evening, mother," said Darien, standing up straight.

"Oh, hello, my son, how was your trip?"

"Good, good. Is something going on with Princess Mina?" Darien gestured toward the paper which Terrania had set down next to her.

"Oh you know," said Terrania. "Never a dull moment in the Enchanted Kingdom."

Darien smiled. He rocked back on his feet and waited.

"Endymion, I want to show you something," said Terrania, her voice taking on a sudden gentleness that Darien had never heard before. She reached into her dress pocket and pulled out a golden object the size of her palm. She held it out for Darien's inspection. It was a star-shaped locket. Darien looked up at his mother and then back at the locket, which was exquisite in its intricate detail. Darien took the locket from her and opened it. Immediately, the most hauntingly beautiful melody came dancing out of the locket.

"That music," he murmured. "I've heard it before."

Terrania smiled. "Do you know where this locket comes from?"

Darien shook his head.

"It was part of a mobile that hung over your cradle when you were just an infant. When we had to send you away, I ordered everything in your room destroyed. Your father managed to retrieve the mobile before it went into the trash, took this from it, and fashioned it into a locket for me."

Darien felt a lump begin to form in his throat. He looked at his mother's face and it was as if he were seeing her for the first time. Politics and intrigue and grave loss had made her harsh over the years, but at this moment, he saw the softness in her eyes.

"Endymion," she said. "You were always very near to my heart, even all those years you lived away."

Darien swallowed. He would not cry. He would not.

"I want you to have this," Terrania continued. "It is rightfully yours, my darling."

Darien accepted the locket and closed it up again. He put it in his breast pocket. "Thank you," he said, his voice breaking.

"Give it to someone who is near to your heart," she whispered.

Darien nodded. Then he threw himself into her arms and hugged her as if he would never see her again.

….

Serena lovingly petted her favorite new dress. It was white with spiral sleeves and a lacy bodice that hugged her small, but newly womanly, frame. She folded it gently and placed it in her trunk along with riding clothes, boating clothes, hiking clothes, and all manner of different outfits she thought she might need for her first excursion into the Earth countryside.

"Ah, good morning, Princess!" said Luna, bursting in with finely wrapped packages. "Some tokens from your mother to Her Majesty the Queen Terrania to accompany you on your arrival!"

"I am also bringing her a chalice made of genuine moon stone," said Serena brightly.

"She'll like that, I'm sure," said Luna.

Serena made her way to the window. "It's a bit stuffy in here, isn't it?" she said. Serena gently pushed back the thick purple tapestry, pushed out the window, and stole a glimpse out onto the promenade below. A large crowd had gathered at the palace gates and were chanting something Serena couldn't make out.

"What is it they're saying, Luna?" Serena asked softly.

Luna looked away. "I don't know why you're listening to that nonsense, Princess. The unrest of the people is really no concern of yours. The Queen will handle it."

Serena frowned and returned her gaze to the crowd below. "If I am to be their Queen someday, surely their discontent is my concern?"

Luna smiled. "Someday is not today, my dear." Luna seemed overeager to draw Serena's attention away from the window. "Where is the Prince taking you?"

Serena blushed and stepped away from the window. "He mentioned something about some ancient castles on the hillside."

"I bet anything you come back a betrothed woman!"

"Luna!" said Serena, covering her face with her hands. "It's much too soon for that!"

Luna shook her head. "Nonsense, Princess! Your mother was wed younger than you. And it's not as if there is a plethora of highborn gentlemen in the Alliance to choose from. You could do worse."

Serena laughed. "I'm sure a proposal is the furthest thing from Prince Darien's mind. He isn't exactly the most formal of princes, in case you hadn't noticed."

"Well, what I have noticed is that he is quite taken with you."

Serena just smiled and returned to folding her clothes, the chants of the people outside having faded from her mind.

….

Darkness had descended and the only light in the clearing came from the eerie red glow cast by the spinning red orb atop Beryl's onyx staff. The four knights had all dropped to one knee as they waited to be addressed and the seven companions had pressed their faces to the ground in an arc around them.

Beryl's cloak fluttered in the ghostly breeze and her blood-red eyes stared out into the night.

"All is coming together quite well," said Beryl. "We are ready to begin the next phase of our plan."

"What is your will, my Queen?" said Kunzite.

"Kunzite," said Beryl, her mouth twisting into a wicked smile. "You will go to Mercury. I need you inside the telecommunications hub."

"And the rest of us?" said Nephrite.

"Your work is done for now," said Beryl. "All that remains for you to do is stand triumphantly by my side when I lay waste to the Moon Kingdom."

"And them?" said Jaedite, referring to the companions behind him.

"They've done well," said Beryl. "But their work is far from over. Stand!" At her command the seven companions stood up, their once luxuriant Venusian glow now muted by the spell of the Dark Crystal. The knights stepped aside and Beryl turned to face the companions. As the seven companions bowed their heads before Beryl, she extended her right hand and released the Dark Crystal which floated in the air and slowly rotated just above her palm. After a silent incantation, Beryl blew gently on the Crystal; it released a black cloud of energy that coated the upturned faces of the companions. One by one their blue eyes turned red. Their faces contorted. Their bodies writhed. They screamed as their skin was consumed by black flames. Their once-fair skin was charred black and their hair fell out and gathered at their feet. Their tortured screams shook the ground beneath them.

"Arise, my Shadow Warriors," said Beryl. "It is time."


	34. Chapter 33: Awakening

**CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE:** Awakening

He was almost sick with anticipation. She would arrive any minute. Darien inspected himself with an almost obsessive attention to detail in the elongated freestanding mirror in the center of his dressing room. When he was satisfied, he crossed the room to his night table and closed the heavy book that was laying there: _The Civilization of Earth: A History_. Jaedite had loaned him the copy at Darien's fervent request. _How quickly things can change_, he marveled to himself. After all, it wasn't that long ago that Darien had looked upon his books with a heavy disdain. But as he meticulously planned the schedule of activities for Serena's arrival, he found a renewed sense of purpose. He was smiling all the time now. Everyone had noticed. Darien could hear the hushed whispering among the servants as he bustled in and out of the castle. He had planned each menu with the house chef as if he were hosting the entire court. He sought out the gardeners to make sure the roses were looking their best and selected the finest specimens for a crystal vase he had put in the guest chambers. He consulted with the stable master about which horse would provide the most gentle ride for Serena and, finding none, had commissioned him to go out into the market to find a well-trained young mare, a gorgeous animal with a caramel coat and a mane the color of fresh straw. He had scouted out hiking trails trying to find the ones with the best views. And he had spent hours poring over books to find interesting Earth artifacts to show her.

Despite all his fretting and researching, Darien was taken aback when he suddenly realized that he was courting the Princess Serenity. Once he realized that this was what he was doing, he felt a little foolish that it had taken him so long to recognize that fact. The thought of it filled him with an electric charge comprised with equal parts excitement and worry. His limited history with women did not fill him with any amount of confidence.

Darien nearly jumped out of his skin as a knock came at the door and Zoisite poked his head in. "Her shuttle has entered the atmosphere and will touch down presently."

Darien swallowed, took one last glance in the mirror, and followed Zoisite out.

….

It was the middle of the night and the city was silent as a tomb. Raye shuffled along the underground corridors until she came to the heavy wooden door leading into the Temple of Apollo. She paused and waited for the scribe to pull open the heavy door for her. She stared straight ahead, her eyes narrowed with steely determination. She crept into the Temple and a sudden warmth hit her cheeks as she ascended the platform on which the fire burned. The scribe hung back.

"You will transcribe every word I say," said Raye firmly, turning and staring intently into the top of his head. "No matter what you see or hear you will not stop recording. Do you understand?"

The scribe nodded vigorously. Beads of sweat had collected at his brow. He shuffled into the corner of the Temple and sat back on his heels as Raye took her place before the pyre. She knelt down on the hard wood floor and settled into her posture. The fire burned brilliantly before her. It crackled and flickered and cast ghostly shadows upon the walls and floor all around her. Raye stared into the flame. She clasped her hands together in front of her and concentrated all her energy.

….

"Close your eyes," Darien instructed, a little sheepishly. Serena obliged, smiling. His heart pounded as he reached down and took her tiny hand in his and led her down the corridor, their feet scuffling noisily against the hard-packed earth. He had been scouting out the underground passageways that ran along the underside of the palace and stretched out for miles underneath Hadean City and ended out in the countryside. They had been dug centuries ago as a security measure in case the palace was overtaken and the royal household needed an escape route. As far as Darien knew, the entrances had been locked forever, but Zoisite had given him a skeleton key.

"I hope you're not showing me the dungeon," Serena joked.

Darien didn't answer as he had reached his destination. There, at the end of the long corridor was an ornately carved wooden door. "Open," he said. Serena blinked a few times and looked up at Darien expectantly. He removed the ancient-looking metal key from his pocket and turned it inside the lock. He heard a click and threw his shoulder into the door and pushed. The old door creaked and groaned as it protested its first opening in what had to have been decades. Darien pushed and Serena shielded her eyes as brilliant white sun light inched its way into the darkened corridor. When her eyes adjusted, she gasped. A lush, spectacular garden bursting with vibrant hues of green and red and orange and purple and every color Serena had ever seen lay before her. When Darien had the door opened all the way, he removed the sword from his hilt and slashed at a vine blocking an overgrown stone pathway. Serena followed in awed silence as he hacked away at the low-hanging vines to create a tunnel through the foliage.

"It's magnificent," Serena breathed. She had never seen anything like it. Her diplomatic visits to the planetary bodies under her rule had been largely confined to palaces and promenades. And while the Earth was a brilliant blue and green marble from her vantage point on the Moon, she had no idea it contained such beauty. Serena looked up to the bright blue sky and saw the garden was surrounded by high stone walls.

"Why would this ever be enclosed?" Serena wondered aloud. "Everyone should be able to enjoy it."

"I'll rip them down if you like," he said, leading her to the center of the garden where a gray stone bench encircled a fountain depicting a waterfall cascading off a marble cliff. Something was etched in delicate calligraphy at the bottom of the fountain. Serena leaned in to take a closer look.

"What does that say?" she asked. Leaves obscured most of the writing.

"It says _sicut in caelo, et in terra_," Darien whispered. "It's the ancient language. This garden was a gift from Serenity the First to the first Earth Queen, Terrulia. It was a symbol of peace. When she came down to greet the citizens of Earth for the first time, everyone thought they were looking at an angel descended from heaven. She built this garden for Terrulia and had it inscribed. On Earth as it is in Heaven. She wanted our worlds to know only everlasting peace with each other."

Serena smiled and scooted in closer to Darien and rested her head on his shoulder. He reached over and lightly brushed her left knee with his fingertips, which sent a shiver up Serena's spine.

"At night, when the moon rises high in the sky," he continued, "its light would glitter off the water of the fountain at just the right angle to send a smattering of lights onto the ivy and roses and this whole garden would sparkle like a galaxy of stars."

"Darien, this is beautiful," said Serena, eyes shining.

"It's yours," he replied.

"What?" said Serena, surprised.

"I want you to have it."

Serena reached down and took Darien's hand in hers and sighed contentedly. Darien felt his heart swell. He looked down and she lifted her chin to meet his eyes. He stared at her for a long time and she held his gaze without breaking away. He reached across his body with his other hand and brushed her bangs away from her face revealing her crescent moon. His fingertips traced their way down the side of her face, down her jaw line, and lifted her chin. When his lips met hers, his entire world, everything he had ever known, everything he ever was, everything he thought he had loved, melted away in an instant and he knew that he was hers forever.

….

Silence had filled the room so suddenly, the scribe wondered if he had gone deaf. Even the fire it seemed had gone silent.

Raye's eyes glazed over and became vacant, but she could see a story begin to transpire in her mind. She saw the Moon Kingdom before it was the Moon Kingdom. There were no symbols or landmarks to tell her what this place was but she knew it even so. She could see a glittering glassy lake and a brilliant white light at the bottom of it growing ever larger as it came closer to the surface.

Two sisters, identical in visage, but not in manner, sitting alone in a small boat. One gazing, transfixed, into the deep while the other is just as transfixed by what she sees in a small pocket mirror. The one called Serenity reaches her hand into the water and withdraws a beautiful, shimmering orb.

Raye began to verbalize the story that transpired in her mind:

"Serenity the First made the choice, the first choice. That's where it all began." The fire danced in front of her. The scribe scribbled furiously as his heart pounded with trepidation. He could see nothing but fire.

But Raye saw it all. She continued: "But the moment that choice was made, another universe was created. We called it the Negaverse. It was born out of Serenity's choice. She chose to harness the power of the Crystal for the good of her people. But in that instant, the Negaverse was created. It was born of us. Out of the opposite choice. In the alternate universe, the Negaverse, Serenity chose to use the Crystal for evil, to enslave the people and keep them in misery and subjugation."

Raye could see masses of people bound in chains, screaming their tortured screams as bolts of black energy pierced their bodies. She could see a regal Queen, eyes burning red, smiling as she inflicted horrible pains upon any and every living creature in her universe. She tortured them until they went mad and only then did she stop.

"She chose a new name for herself – Metalia, to symbolize strength and invulnerability and all her evils turned the Crystal black with dark energy. After she had tortured the humanity out of her victims, she had an army of demons."

Raye could see legions of shadowy figures marching in formation.

"Not content to rule her own universe in her own image, she devised a plan to break into our universe by converting herself into dark matter and leading her armies into our universe through a black hole. The first to fall under her corrupted influence was Seraphina, the doomed twin sister of Serenity the First."

The scribe gasped. He continued to write trying to keep up with Raye's words, which flew from her mouth with such rapidity, his wrist began to cramp and ache.

Raye went on: "Metalia gave Seraphina the dark Crystal which she used to gain influence far and wide in our universe. And her followers waged war on the throne. Serenity the First defeated them and sent them back to their own universe. But Metalia vowed she would one day return and claim our universe as her own."

Raye stopped. The color returned to her eyes. She didn't speak for several minutes. Then: "Metalia is back. And she has found a new vessel."


	35. Chapter 34: Warning

**CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR:** Warning

Serena felt like she was walking on air as she closed the door to the guest bedroom and floated toward the bed. Collapsing into an exhausted, but satisfied heap, she couldn't stop herself from grinning goofily as she stared up at the pink canopy draped loosely over the bed posts. She and Darien had spent the afternoon riding horses through wooded trails that crisscrossed for miles throughout the western edge of the Permian forest. They had stopped in a clearing by a rushing river for supper; Darien had packed a feast of warm breads, venison, aged cheeses, pears, apples and sparkling cider.

Her body ached from riding, and her cheeks were slightly pink from the sun. She crawled under the covers and was soon fast asleep.

….

The scribe kept his head low as he waited for the Princess to finish reading all he had transcribed before the Sacred Flame.

"Scribe," she said suddenly. He looked up and as he searched her face, he could see a decision was being made. A terrible, dark decision. "Tell no one what you witnessed here," she said.

The scribe trembled before her imposing figure. He knew he was taking his life in his hands if he spoke without being addressed. But after what he witnessed before the Sacred Flame, he realized his life was over regardless. And suddenly it didn't seem to matter to him whether it ended now at the hand of his most exalted princess, or later at the hand of an evil force. Still, it was with great trepidation that he spoke:

"Will we warn them, Highness? The rulers of the other worlds? Will we warn them about the dark force that is coming?"

To his surprise, the princess did not scold him, nor even look sharply at him. Instead, she only whispered her soft reply: "No."

….

_The harpist gingerly plucks the strings as she floats down the aisle on their haunted melody. He waits at the altar with a rose in his pocket and a brilliant grin. Smiling eyes are all on her. She is stunning in her lace gown and cathedral veil. The aisle is blanketed with rose petals in dusty pinks, deep crimsons, and soft whites. She is nearly bursting with joy._

_Then smoke. And fire. The music stops. Desperate screams and frightened cries pierce the air. _

_She cannot move. She reaches for him. He outstretches his hand but cannot reach her. He is fading fast in a cloud of smoke. She calls his name, but he is gone._

Serena woke in a cold sweat.

….

They walked hand in hand through the woods the next day as the morning sun peeked through the leaves at the tops of tall trees. These woods, which had seemed to Darien barren and desolate only a few short months ago, now teemed with life. Everywhere he looked he saw evidence of the world's beauty: sparrows in nests tending their young, gorgeous wild flowers competing with the grasses for dominance, rabbits darting into tunnels, songbirds warbling. Darien smiled and looked down at Serena and fiddled with the ring in his jacket pocket.

"Is something wrong?" he asked, stopping and facing her.

"No, nothing," she said softly, failing to meet his eyes. "Bad dream is all."

Darien smiled and kissed her lips softly before continuing on their path through the winding woods. "I used to live in this area," he said.

"With your adoptive family?" said Serena.

"Yeah," said Darien. "We'd be in these woods every day getting into trouble. We'd leap over chasms, cut through farmers' fields, explore caves. We'd have so much fun—"

"Who is we?" asked Serena.

Immediately Darien regretted his trip down memory lane.

"Oh, um," he began. "Just this girl I grew up with. Her name was Beryl."

"Was?"

_Stop talking, idiot_, Darien chastised himself. "Well, I mean. That still is her name. But she and I don't—we don't—we don't speak anymore."

"Why not?"

They had come to a clearing now and Serena broke free from Darien's grasp and sat down on an uprooted log and peered up at him with unblinking eyes. Darien sighed and sat down next to her. "We had a falling out, I guess. My parents reclaimed me and I went to live at the palace and she—stayed where she was."

"Why didn't you stay friends?"

Darien could have kicked himself for prattling on about his old life. Of course Beryl would come up. This subject was going to lay waste to his plans for the afternoon.

"We went in different directions," he said quietly. "I wanted to stay friends. But she didn't." His lips pursed and he looked at the ground.

"Darien," said Serena, cautiously. He forced himself to meet her eyes. "Did you love her?"

Darien felt a lump form in his throat. He suddenly wished he was able to lie to her. "I thought it was love," he admitted. "She was my best friend. My only friend. For a long time. But she was always so angry. But she had a hard life, you know? I was lucky. I was born a prince. She was born to nothing. No one really looked out for her. Except me."

Serena took Darien's hand in her own and looked into his eyes, encouraging him to go on.

"I always felt very protective of her. But she changed. She grew dark and lifeless. I don't even recognize her anymore."

"Why don't you still speak?"

Darien shook his head. "She wants nothing to do with me anymore. The last time I saw her she—she scared me." Darien felt a little foolish admitting this to Serena. But something about the way she looked at him made him feel like he could tell her anything. He looked into her eyes and saw something innocent and good. It was like he was looking into her soul. She carried none of the things most people carried: secrets, shame, regret. She was perfect.

"Serena," Darien whispered. "I didn't know what love was until I met you. I'm not sure I even believed in love before I met you. You are everything."

Serena placed a hand on Darien's cheek. He covered her hand with his own and closed his eyes. "With you I feel like the world is a beautiful place. I never felt that way before. I want to be better. I want to be the person that you deserve. But most of all, I just want to be with you. Forever."

Serena's heart quickened and her face flushed as Darien descended to one knee and reached into his jacket pocket. He withdrew a glittering silver band sitting atop a black velvet cushion. Serena's hand trembled as she held it out. Darien took her hand and looked in her eyes. It was now or never. "Serena," he murmured. "Will you marry me?"

She willed herself not to cry as she whispered: "I will."

He slid the ring on her finger and stood up. Serena twisted the ring around her finger and smiled as she read the words that were engraved: _Sicut in caelo, et in terra_. She wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face into his chest. He wrapped her in his cloak and breathed her in, falling into intoxication. He did not see the pair of blood red eyes that watched from a distance.

….

Serenity could barely contain her glee as she whisked about the castle ordering servants about in preparation. News of the engagement had spread rapidly and now she pranced around this way and that making arrangements for the Silver Ball, an engagement party in her daughter's honor. A royal engagement was just the thing to assuage the discontentment of the people and she could scarcely think of a better match for her young daughter. And uniting the Moon Kingdom with the Temperate Kingdom was a shrewd political maneuver. The Moon would now have a more direct say in matters before the Royal Council.

"Ah, Luna, there you are," said Serenity when she found Luna in the kitchen bossing around the head chef. "Have the invitations gone out through the wire yet? I expect the entire Royal Court to be in attendance."

"Yes, Your Majesty, and all the Princesses have responded favorably – with the exception of the Princess Mars."

Serenity raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Oh?"

"We haven't been able to make contact with the Holy Kingdom just yet, Your Majesty," said Luna, hurriedly. "We think they might be having some technical difficulties with their communications hub."

"Well, just in case, follow up with a printed invitation. Send it out on the next shuttle."

"I will, Your Majesty," said Luna, with a slight bow.

"Thank you, Luna," said Serenity. Luna finished up with the chef and joined Serenity as they coursed throughout the palace issuing orders and getting things ready. "I want the main ballroom done up in silver and ornate rose displays on every table," Serenity continued. "We must make sure this is an evening the people will never forget!"

….

"All right," said Amy, adjusting a set of night vision goggles over her eyes and tightening the head strap so it fit securely over her head. Thick black rubber gloves encased each of her hands and arms up to her elbows and in her left hand was a small jar filled with a luminescent yellow goo. In her right hand was a nail polish brush. It seemed a tad simplistic, but it was all she could find. She didn't want to fill out a requisition form and wait six to eight weeks while the drones in procurement fetched her top grade lab brushes. This project was already taking longer than she had anticipated.

"Let's see if I'm as brilliant as I think I am." With her right elbow, she flicked off the overhead fluorescents and stood still as her eyes adjusted to the green and black landscape slowly taking shape before her eyes. She moved slowly toward her lab table, careful to avoid knocking into anything. She had cleared everything off the table earlier. When she reached the table, she carefully dipped the nail polish brush into the swirling yellow liquid, wiped off the excess on the rim of the jar, and placed a dot on the lower left hand corner of the surface of the table. Then she moved to the lower right hand corner of the table and dabbed another dot. She repeated this action in all four corners. When she was finished, she backed up, pulled off the night vision goggles and flicked on the light switch.

The table was gone.

Amy felt all the breath go out of her. Suddenly she was seized by fits of uncontrollable laughter. She had done it.

At that moment, Viola poked her head into the lab.

"Shouldn't you be readying yourself for Princess Serenity's engagement party, Your Highness?"

"I have discovered something revolutionary," Amy said breathlessly. Viola raised an eyebrow. Amy continued: "A gel that repels light." Amy turned back to face her now-unseen lab table. "Think of the implications!"

"Repels light," Viola repeated.

"Think about it, Viola," said Amy. "What happens if an object is incapable of absorbing light?"

Viola furrowed her eyebrows. "Well, you wouldn't be able to see it, I suppose."

Amy grinned. "You suppose right." Amy screwed the cap tightly back onto the nail polish bottle and placed it in a clear plastic bag. She removed the rubber gloves and lifted up the night vision goggles making a mess of her hair in the process. "Please have the flight crews ready my personal shuttle craft and one pilot. I'm leaving shortly."

….

Apollonia looked on from behind her daughter. She sat stoic but beamed with pride on the inside. Her daughter had assumed her place in the center of the podium constructed in front of the Temple. She had ordered that every citizen of Mars be in attendance as she made her address. A public-speaking event unrelated to the high holidays was so rare on Mars that even temple schools had dismissed their students early. Raye approached the microphone and all murmurs and whispers ceased. Every citizen bowed low and pressed his or her head into the hard-packed ground as they waited for her to begin her address:

"Early this morning I cut off communications with our sister worlds. No transmissions will leave the Holy Kingdom and none will arrive. After spending my life studying the Scrolls and consulting with the Sacred Flame, I have become certain that I am the sacrifice of which the Millennium Scroll speaks. I intend to honor that prophesy with my life's blood."

Raye looked out upon the sea of bowed heads. She was grateful she couldn't see their faces – and that they could not see hers.

"We all know the prophecies of Scylla as we know our own souls," she continued. "But after reading the Sacred Flame, I have unearthed new information, which I now share with you, my people." As Raye recounted the details of what she had learned about the origins of the Crystal and the first epic war, several citizens abandoned protocol and lifted their trembling heads. Soon, millions of eyes were staring at Raye as she spoke of the devastation their world would endure. "Should the Dark One prevail," she said gravely, "she will leave none alive but for those she chooses to torment until the point of madness just so she can use them to fill out the ranks of her army of demons."

Panicked whispered erupted from all sides.

"But all is not lost for the faithful of the Holy Kingdom of Mars!" Raye declared. Immediately, all whispers ceased and hope filled their eyes. "I invite anyone who wishes to avoid this fate to join me in sacrifice!"

It took a moment for her words to settle over the crowded mass. Then, as if in a great coordinated effort, the citizens of Mars erupted in applause and uncharacteristic celebration. They kissed their fingertips and extended their hands in Raye's direction and then interlaced their fingers in prayer.

….

"Plans are already underway for an engagement party on the Moon this evening," said Zoisite, his hood pulled low over his eyes. His brothers-at-arms stood stoically next to him in a semicircle around their Queen, with the exception of Kunzite, who was stationed on Mercury in the communications hub. Beryl seemed to exude a frigid air off her exposed skin despite the heat of late summer. She floated toward them making no noise, as if even the leaves under her feet were afraid to protest.

"Then the attack begins tonight," Beryl said icily, her eyes aflame with purpose. "And do not forget," she warned. "Serenity and her daughter are mine."


	36. Chapter 35: Silence

**CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE:** Silence

Viola busied herself in the Princess's closet as she sat nearby scribbling furiously in a notebook, fragments of notes and equations littering the margins of each page. She came upon an elegant, but simple floor-length azure gown with a layer of chiffon that muted the radiance of the color.

"This one?" asked Viola, holding it up against her chest.

Amy looked up briefly. "Fine, fine," she said. As Viola packed Amy's things for her trip, she could see that behind the her eyes, Amy's mind churned and calculated. Viola sighed. Once she was in the midst of a project, there was little anyone could do to penetrate her concentration. It was as if the world ceased to exist. Viola zipped the gown inside a garment bag and as she lifted it to hang it up on the open door to the armoire, the bag grazed a nearby end table, sending a box crashing to the floor and its contents spilling out.

"Beg your pardon, Highness," said Viola quickly as she knelt down to pick up what had fallen. Amy looked up as she saw the four glittering wands scattered on the floor.

"You know what," said Amy. "Pack those as well."

….

Kunzite didn't blink as he stepped out into the frigid air. He removed the small communicator and a handkerchief from his breast pocket. He pressed the communicator in the right spot, and waited for the connection as he wiped the last remnants of the blood of the communications director from his hands.

Moments later, Jaedite's voice came crackling through the communicator: "Yes, brother?"

Kunzite brought the device to his lips and replied: "I'm finished here. The main communications tower has been disabled. It will take them at least four hours to get it up and running again."

"Fortunately they don't have four hours left. Well done, brother," said Jaedite. "I will see you at the front."

….

A shuttle craft bearing the insignia of the House of Mercury touched down on the landing pad just outside the Moon Palace. Attendants busily set about removing Amy's luggage as she was escorted to her guest rooms.

"May I take your bag, Your Highness?" said a sandy-haired attendant with the signature tilted crescent moon stamped just above his brow. He put a hand on the simple canvas bag slung over Amy's shoulder.

"No!" said Amy brusquely. "I've got this one, thank you."

"Very well. The party will begin in two hours, Your Highness," he replied. Amy nodded as she sailed into the palace and into her rooms. Once all her bags and trunks were safely ensconced in her rooms, Amy dismissed her attendants and lovingly patted the bag containing the remnants of her single failed experiment.

….

"I don't like leaving you alone like this," said Aphrodinia as she peered out Mina's bedroom window.

"I will be on the next flight," Mina assured them. "I just need some extra time to ready myself for the engagement party."

"I do not see why," said Aphrodinia.

"I won't be long, I promise." Mina smiled warmly, hoping her face did not betray the apprehension she felt by the prospect of seeing Queen Serenity and the Princess for the first time since learning the true nature of her birth.

Aphrodinia kissed Mina's forehead and Henry smiled. Mina waved her parents off. She stepped inside her closet and held dress after dress in front of her body and inspected herself in the free-standing full-length mirror until finally settling on a custom-made saffron gown with a sweetheart neckline and silk white flowers that gathered around the waist. As she puttered around her room throwing things into trunks for her journey, a sound caught her attention. It was low, and guttural, almost like a vibration in the ground. She wandered to the window and peeked outside. The protesting mobs were a fairly regular occurrence these days, but something about the tenor of the crowd down below caught her attention. Something was different. There were no signs, no chants. But the people were throwing themselves against the wrought-iron gates that surrounded the palace. Guards at the front looked panicked and backed away gingerly as the gates began to weaken. Mina gasped as more guards flew from the palace toward the front gates. She could see them imploring with the crowd to back away; she could see their efforts were useless. The captain of the guard signaled for his men to draw their sabers.

Mina's arms went slack and the gown fluttered to the floor. "It's come to this," she murmured.

….

Amy had no rational explanation for her actions. She felt compelled. She felt like a Venusian opium addict waiting hungrily to devour her next fix. She clutched her bag as she stared, transfixed at the door to the Imperial Chamber. A brilliant white glow emanated from the crack between the bottom of the door and the cool marble floor. Almost without realizing it, Amy found herself inside the chamber staring at the Silver Crystal as it hung suspended over the gilded pedestal. _I shouldn't_, she thought. But Amy couldn't look away from the Crystal. Absently, her hand wandered into her bag and she gripped the four sticks tightly in her fist and withdrew them. Amy's body seemed to move without any conscious direction from her as she placed a stick in each of the four corners of the pedestal supporting the energy of the Crystal.

She drifted to the northwest corner of the room and reached out to touch the azure orb of the stick bearing the symbol of her home world. She willed every ounce of her strength into her fingertips. She felt her body grow instantly warm as her Light emanated throughout her body. Her skin glowed a soft blue as the Light concentrated itself in the center of her body. As it grew more intense, her body temperature dropped and she felt like she was being jabbed with a million tiny icicles. As the familiar pain of her Light coursed through her body, she concentrated her energy and forced it through her fingertips. The Light came charging through with such intensity the impact threw her against the back wall. She smacked her head into the concrete and felt her vision blur. Her head throbbed, but the pain in her body had ebbed.

Amy staggered to her feet and took her head in her hands. Her vision cleared somewhat as she looked to the pedestal. The blue stick now glowed with the power of her Light and shined almost as bright as the Silver Crystal.

"It worked," Amy murmured in disbelief. She started to laugh. "It worked!"

….

Mina flew to her bedroom door and slid the deadbolt into place. She pressed her ear against the mahogany door and listened to the sounds emanating from the ground floor of the palace.

A sickening crack.

Then the deafening rumble of hundreds of feet pounding the marble. They were inside. Mina trembled. They were coming for her.

….

Amy felt ill as she watched the green stick begin to fill with the Light and shoot bolts of electric lightning into the Crystal, which was now spinning so fast, it looked like it might combust. _I've got to warn them_, she thought. _I've got to get these to them somehow._

_ …._

No one spoke as Raye moved swiftly about the Palace, with Deimos and Phobos trailing silently behind. Her raven hair had been brushed until it shone, a glossy black cloak surrounding her small body, which was wrapped in a red silk robe. When she arrived at the front gates of her Palace, her mother was there waiting. They nodded wordlessly to one another and then to the guards who opened the gates. Raye made her way to the capital's center square where a grand platform had been constructed and where her subjects had gathered from the distant corners of her world. Dressed identically in brown robes, each citizen stood stoic staring straight ahead with the hands clasped in front of them with index fingers pointed toward the sky, in the Martian tradition. Their fingertips were brought to their lips and they waited. Women, men, and children stared straight ahead and waited for her, millions of pairs of lavender eyes resolute.

Raye climbed upon the platform and was flanked on either side by Phobos and Deimos. Apollonia had moved around the platform and faced her people one last time. Then she slowly pivoted on her feet and faced her daughter for the first time as a subject. Apollonia slowly sunk to her knees and pressed her forehead into the ground, acknowledging her daughter as the supreme ruler of the Holy Kingdom. In a coordinated wave, the citizens of Mars followed suit, as did Phobos and Deimos. Raye was standing alone.

A throbbing heat began in her head and traveled slowly down her body. The fire inside her begged for release, but she kept it in. The heat intensified, but she persisted. Everything about her life had been leading up to this point. Every painful test to which she had been subjected had been to give her the strength for this moment. She realized that now. Every nerve ending in her body screamed in agony, still she held onto the flame. Her skin glowed red and her hair blew wildly about her body, even though there was no wind.

"Farewell, my people," she whispered, her eyes welling. "Until we meet in the next life."

….

Something was wrong. It wasn't supposed to work this way. Amy quickly shuffled to the southwest corner of the room and looked at the red stick. It was vibrating.

"No, no, no," Amy pleaded. She watched in horror as the red stick began to glow. "They have to be here!" she shouted. "This can't happen! Not like this!"

The Silver Crystal spun wildly and pulsated with the energy of Mercury and Jupiter, hungry for more. The red stick of Mars shook violently, shooting a crimson flame into the Crystal.

….

Mina breathed in short, even gasps. She caught her reflection in the vanity above her dresser. The symbol of Venus, her home world, the only world she had ever known, emblazoned in fiery orange above her brow. She felt her body grow hot. Her hair lifted away from her body as if buoyed by some ghostly breeze.

"Venus…" she whispered as the shouts grew louder. They were her subjects and she loved them dearly, though they called for her head. The floor beneath her began to vibrate and suddenly a loud _thwack_ slammed against her bedroom door.

"Crescent…" she said, feeling the Light burn inside her. She would protect herself if she had to.

The door rattled against its frame. Another slam. They were throwing themselves against the door with more and more force until suddenly, it hung from its hinge. Mina found herself face to face with a tempestuous mob of beautiful faces contorted in anger. Mina gasped. Their eyes were blazing red. They hesitated when they saw her bathed in the yellow beams of her Light.

Her body began to throb.

….

Amy was transfixed, unable to move as the orange stick began to glow and cast beams of white hot light into the Crystal. The process was steady but quick. Soon, all four sticks were casting their Light straight into the white glowing halo surrounding the Crystal. The Crystal began to glow brighter from its exertion. Amy couldn't move. Suddenly, the Crystal began to spin more erratically, shooting bursts of Light out in every direction. Amy knew she had to leave. The Crystal was unstable. But she stood motionless, hypnotized. She stared straight into the Crystal as a burst of energy charged straight for her.

….

"Traitor!" called a brave one among them. His insult incited the crowd, which slowly began to advance on her. Their eyes were dark and vacant as if hypnotized.

"Please don't do this," she whispered. "You are my people."

"You are not one of us," a woman in front spat.

"Can't you see that you've been bewitched against me?" Mina's voice took on a sense of urgency. She was starting to panic. "This isn't you. We are a people of love."

"Stranger!" shouted another man.

"VENUS!" she screamed, hoping her challenge would frighten them into standing down. But they came closer and Mina began to feel something akin to panic. The panic startled her because it seemed to outweigh the pain. In fact, the pain itself had begun to ebb. _What's happening?_

Her Light was dimming. She felt the power being sucked out of her like water being drained from a pond.

And the mob noticed.

_What the—? _They were closing in.

"Venus crescent beam smash!" she screeched. Her voice was shrill and panicked, but nothing happened.

She was powerless.

She struggled against the sturdy hand that grabbed onto her arm, but it was useless. Soon she was being grabbed everywhere and the horde of bodies drowned out her screams. One of her own silk scarves was tied over her eyes and a handkerchief, with the symbol of her house embroidered on it, was stuffed down her throat. She stopped struggling and breathing became her sole object. She was being carried through the palace. She didn't see the slain guards littering the floor as she was dragged past. She could hear the heavy front doors being opened and felt the sun singe her skin as she was thrust out into the daylight. Onward they carried her. She began to feel lightheaded and dizzy as the struggle to breathe became a battle, a battle she felt she was losing with each passing minute. Finally, she was dropped. Her hands immediately went to her mouth and she pulled out the handkerchief and coughed and sputtered until her airways were clear. Someone from behind her ripped the scarf from her head and she could see again. She blinked her eyes and waited for them to adjust to the bright sun. She was on her hands and knees on what appeared to be a wooden platform. Her knees and wrists ached from being dropped so suddenly. Someone grabbed a handful of her hair and yanked back forcing her to look up.

Her mouth dropped open in horror as she looked across the wooden platform. A hastily-constructed gallows awaited her.


	37. Chapter 36: War

**CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX:** War

Settling in for the twelve-hour patrol, Lita opened her hardcover copy of _The Long Road to Peace: A History of the Great War_. She had promised her military history tutor, a bespectacled wretch from Mercury, that she would be able to state, in detail, what tactical blunders the Saturnian forces had made leading up to the end of the war. She managed to get through about twelve lines before she sighed, cast the book aside, and picked up her tattered copy of _Forbidden Love_, a sappy romance novel written by the best-selling Venusian author, Ariadne. Lita sighed as she read again her favorite part where the Martian monk fell so desperately in love with the Venusian countess that he eschewed his allegiance to the Scrolls and was exiled from his home world. Lita's reverie was interrupted when, several hours later, a crackly distortion came in through her radio.

"T-Bird, this is Delta Seven, I have an anomaly on radar out in sector twelve, please instruct."

Lita looked up from her book and pulled her helmet over her head. "Say again, Delta Seven."

"I repeat: I have an anomaly on radar. Sector twelve, awaiting instructions."

Sighing, Lita turned the ignition lever and fired up her second engine. "Is it something you can deal with, Delta Seven? I'm expected on the Moon in a few hours."

"I, uh, yes—yes I think so, T-Bird?" came the less-than-assuring reply. Lita sighed and remembered Delta Seven was a fairly new cadet. She thought she remembered that his name was Caleb and he came from Io. He'd come up the ranks relatively quickly, mastering nearly every qualification, but he was still green when it came to aviation and border security protocol.

"I'm not far, Delta Seven, I'll come out your way and check it out. It's probably just another empty weapons station left over from the war. There are a ton of them out there."

"T-Bird! Six more anomalies on the U.C.T.! No, strike that—seventeen—wait, twenty-seven—T-Bird, they're everywhere now!"

"Stay calm, Delta Seven," said Lita as adrenaline began to course through her veins. "This is what you train for. Fall out of weapons range and I'll be there shortly with backup." Switching to a general broadcast channel, Lita declared: "Level one alert, I need all airborne Fighters in sector twelve now, come in weapons hot."

Lita kicked her aircraft into overdrive and soared through space toward the border line. A shrill beeping noise began to squawk from her console. She looked down in horror as her Unknown Craft Tracker lighted to life like the fireworks on Armistice Day.

"U.C.T., identify the enemy contacts," she said softly.

"Eight hundred enemy ships bearing the insignia of the House of the Sentry Kingdom of Pluto," came the robotic reply.

Lita felt her skin grow cold.

"One thousand five hundred enemy ships bearing the insignia of the House of the Tranquil Kingdom of Neptune."

Her heart began to race.

"One thousand eight hundred enemy ships bearing the insignia of the House of the Dauntless Kingdom of Uranus."

She brought her fingers to her temples and closed her eyes.

"Two thousand one hundred enemy ships bearing the insignia of the House of the Halcyon Kingdom of Saturn."

Lita's heart sank. "They didn't want peace," she murmured. "They wanted to wipe us out."

….

A hush fell over the assembled crowd as Queen Serenity entered the room. She climbed the short staircase to an elevated stage set up in front of her throne. She wore a radiant smile.

"Welcome, most honored guests!" she greeted warmly. She waited while the guests applauded appreciatively. "At this time I would like to present my daughter, the Princess Serenity and her chosen love, the Prince Endymion of the Temperate Kingdom of Earth!"

An explosion of applause and cheering came from the crowd as the doors opened and Serena and her prince came into the room. Serena blushed as she gripped Darien's arm, embarrassed by all the attention.

"Please join me in raising a glass and wishing a long and prosperous reign to the future Queen and King of the Silver Alliance!"

Glasses clinked in a tinkling symphony and the musicians began to play a slow song. The crowd parted to make room for Serena and Darien on the dance floor. He held her close and she turned her face into his jacket. Soon they were surrounded by dancing couples and Serena relaxed.

Just then, a thunderous pulse shook the castle so hard, a bit of the stone façade crumbled and came tumbling to the ground. Darien pulled Serena close to shield her. "What was that?" he wondered aloud. The lights flickered for a moment and the musicians stopped playing. Silence filled the hall as everyone looked around perplexed.

A moment later the lights came back on and the musicians continued their etude as if nothing was amiss. The guests continued laughing and talking and Darien shrugged. "I guess it was nothing," he said, answering his own question. "Hey, what is it?" he asked, looking down at Serena's face.

"I have a present for you," Darien whispered.

Serena looked up. "What is it?"

"Not here," he replied. "In a little while. Out on the balcony."

….

The fire returned to Lita's eyes and she let her hand dangle over the trigger to her long gun. "If it's a fight they want," she said through gritted teeth, "then that's what they'll get!" She flipped a switch and turned her radio to a direct line channel straight to Balthazar.

"Princess? Is that you?" came his static-filled reply.

"Yes, Balthazar, can you hear me?"

"Barely," he replied. "We've been having distortion for the past few hours, I'm not sure what's going on with the communications lines."

"Deal with it later. I need every last pilot in the air with me now out by the border. We've got serious incoming. The sky is overflowing with enemy fighters and they're headed straight for the Line! This is not a drill!"

"Copy that!"

Lita switched to the local channel. "Fighters we have incoming, I want weapons hot. Follow me in formation."

Leading a triangle of fighter jets, she advanced toward the swarming mass of enemy fighters. Just then, her communicator began to squawk wildly and she realized that one of the unknown crafts was attempting to hail her. Switching to the open channel, Lita barked into the microphone: "Unknown craft, you are to identify yourself immediately."

Garbled words sputtered through what was mostly a transmission full of static. _What is up with these radios today? _Lita wondered. She was only able to make out, "Hostile…warbirds…surrender…destroy."

"Say again!" Lita commanded. But only static answered her. The league of aircraft began to fire their engines and head closer. Lita's heart started to pound. "Unidentified aircraft, stay where you are!" But the ship's pilot either didn't hear her order, or chose to ignore it.

"Delta Seven, fire across the bow of the main bird!" Lita ordered. The pilot quickly obeyed and sent an electric bolt of fire across the front of the ship leading the others. But the ship did not stop. Lita clenched her jaw. "All right, Delta Seven," she said in an even and steely tone. "Fall back. All warbirds: fire up your weapons!" Lita broke formation and charged toward the encroaching aircraft. She could practically hear her mother admonishing her for abandoning protocol as the distance grew between her and her infantry. In a dangerous game of chicken, she charged directly toward the headship.

"Um, T-Bird?" called a worried Delta Seven. "What are you doing?"

"Don't question me!" Lita snapped. Then, more calmly: "I'm getting a closer look."

Her enemy weapons detector was going crazy as Lita got closer. Suddenly, Lita's ship and the headship of the first fleet of aircraft were careening directly toward one another at a lightning fast pace.

"T-Bird!" screamed Delta Seven. "Stop!" Lita ignored him. "Princess!" he screamed again.

_Come on, come on_, she chanted in her head as her jet got closer to the other on their collision course. At the last second, as Lita's fighter came barreling toward it, the craft suddenly pulled left just narrowly missing the edge of Lita's wing. As it did so, Lita got a clear glimpse of the Saturnian emblem.

Lita peeled away from the leader jet and pulled up behind it. She switched on her long gun and as soon as she did so, the leader jet began to fly erratically. It would be a few minutes before her infantry got within weapons range and Lita knew that if her mother could see her antagonizing an entire enemy fleet by herself, she would get an earful.

But she lived for this.

The leader jet started to duck and weave through space closer and closer to Jupiterian airspace and Lita remained hot on its trail. The finest pilot in the entire Jupiterian fleet, Lita had little doubt she would destroy her target, but she decided that it would be more prudent to wait for her fleet to arrive before discharging her gun.

_This pilot is pretty good_, she grudgingly admitted to herself as he darted and weaved in and out of the debris. As the jet barrel-rolled over her, Lita could clearly make out the Saturnian royal crest and next to it were the words _H.R.H. Titus Rex_.

"Oh!" Lita screamed. She immediately backed off her target, shut down her weapons, and kept a close, but respectful distance behind. She switched her radio back on to the open channel. "Titus, is that you?" Silence. "Answer me, damn it!" Nothing. It was unmistakably his ship and given the attitude with which it was flown, Lita should have guessed. "Titus, if that's you, you better answer me _now_ and tell me what the hell you're doing here with warships!" Panic started to rise in Lita's chest. Suddenly, she remembered that she could be heard by her entire fleet and tried to choose her words more carefully. "Unidentified fighter jet bearing the Saturnian royal crest—identify yourself now." Again, no response. "Saturnian ship, you are now in violation of the inter-alliance peace treaty. You are to stop and turn back now or I will be forced to open fire."

"T-Bird, the first wave of warbirds is now in weapons range, please instruct," came the voice of Delta Seven.

Lita gripped the stick so tightly her knuckles were bone white. Slowly she slid her fingers down to the weapons trigger.

"Saturnian vessel, you are in Jupiterian airspace in violation of the Armistice of Orion," she said, hoping to sound more menacing than she felt. "This is Her Royal Highness Litania commanding you to stop and identify yourself."

"T-Bird, your orders?"

"Answer me, vessel!" Lita shouted, feeling as though she were rapidly losing control. The Saturnian fleet moved in closer. In a few minutes, they would be in weapons range of the Palace.

Lita could not allow such a transgression.

"T-Bird, what are your instructions?"

Sweat trickled down Lita's forehead. "Answer me, Titus!" she screamed. Her heart thudding in her chest, she switched on her gun. Nothing but static as Lita locked her gun on the target ship. Images began to flood her mind as she gently slid her hand down to the cannon trigger at her right side. Titus gently brushing her bangs out of her eyes and kissing her fingertips. Holding her hand as they walked in secret down the rocky paths of Cyllene. But then she remembered her mother's words from so many years ago: _Someday, darling, you'll have to make difficult decisions. You must be ready to put the safety of the Kingdom before everything else even if that means taking a life. Even if that means sacrificing your own life. _Lita scrunched her eyes shut tight and gave the cannon trigger a gentle squeeze.

"Destroy all targets!" she commanded.

Just then, a tinny voice came through her radio: "Lita? It's me! Don't shoot! Don't—"

But it was too late. Lita watched in horror as one jolt from her cannon obliterated the ship and the prince inside. And then suddenly the black of space was alight with fire.

….

"Darien, it's beautiful!" said Serena, as she held the golden locket in her open hands. She closed her eyes and listened to the haunting melody that sailed up out of the locket. It seemed familiar somehow.

"My mother gave it to me. But I think it belongs to you."

Serena's heart swelled. She didn't know it was possible to feel as happy as she did at that moment. She longed to allow the feeling wash over her, but something nagged at her. She was happier than anyone had any right to be, herself least of all. She had been born the most privileged person in all the worlds. Life simply couldn't be this easy.

"Serena, are you crying?" Darien asked.

"No," said Serena, wiping her face. "I—I just don't understand why the other princesses haven't arrived yet," she said.

Darien frowned. He did not understand why Serena felt so attached to her court. They seemed to have so little in common with one another. Still, if it was important to Serena—

"I will investigate," he said, planting a kiss on the crescent moon brightening the center of her forehead. Darien led Serena back into the main ballroom and scanned the room for his four advisors. He had expected to see them laughing and mingling among the guests – there were many attractive young ladies present – and was surprised to see that each one of them had taken up residence in each of the four corners of the room. And not one of them was smiling.

Darien raised an eyebrow and brought Serena to Jaedite, who was standing closest.

"Jaedite," said Darien, with a slight tone of irritation. "Will you please see to the Princess Serenity while I tend to something?"

Jaedite still did not crack a smile, but merely bowed politely and extended his arm to Serena. "Of course, Your Highness."

Darien turned to Serena and kissed the back of her hand. "I will be right back." And with that, he was gone from the ballroom and wending his way through the dimly-lit corridors of the utility wing of the Moon Palace.

"I know it's around here somewhere," said Darien, charging down the hallway past doors marked 'Main Power,' 'Water Shed,' 'Elevator Controls,' and 'Postal.' Finally, Darien came across the door marked, 'Communications.' But his attention was immediately drawn to the door to the Imperial Chamber. It was ajar.

"That's odd," Darien remarked. He had been to the Imperial Chamber before, on a guided tour on his first trip to the Moon. _Wasn't it always closed?_ he wondered. The Crystal as he remembered it, and he was sure it was a sight he would have a difficult time forgetting, was a pure white light. But now, a kaleidoscope of colored lights spiraled across the floor into the hallway. His hand was gripped around the knob of the door to Communications, but he couldn't turn his attention away from the rainbow smattered across the floor. Green dancing with orange, yellow merging with purple, blue intertwined with red…

"Stop it," Darien told himself. "The Crystal is none of your concern!" And he pushed his way into the communications room. He was not an expert in most technical matters, but he thought he could manage an outgoing call or two. But as soon as he looked at the wall of knobs, levers, screens, and buttons, even he recognized that he would be unable to do anything. Not a single light was on and the massive switchboard was deathly silent.

Darien remembered then the loud noise they had heard earlier and the flickering of the power. Something must have knocked out the communications tower. He shuffled quickly out of the room and closed the door. Once again, his eyes were drawn to the sliver of multi-colored light bursting through the gap between the door to the Imperial Chamber and the outside wall. A sick feeling pulled at his insides as he found himself pulling open the heavy door the rest of the way. He stepped into the room and marveled at the Crystal, which was spinning wildly this way and that, although still confined to the airspace just above its pedestal. Then Darien noticed the four small objects sitting at each corner of the pedestal. He moved closer to examine them better, but as he approached, something caught the corner of his eye. A hand, lax and limp, splayed against the cool concrete of the floor. Darien's heart raged in his chest as he peered around the stone pedestal and saw the body of Princess Mercury, her eyes open and her expression fixed in permanent shock.

"Oh no," Darien whispered as he knelt down and pressed two fingers against the Princess's neck. He pushed and repositioned his fingers and pushed again but felt no sign of her life pulse. He gently slid his arms underneath her small body and lifted her up. He carried her out of the Imperial Chamber and through the corridors. He could hear laughing and merriment coming from the ballroom, but turned away from it and made his way into an unoccupied guest bedchamber. He laid Princess Mercury gently on the bed and closed her eyes.

….

Lita was alone. She sailed through what was left of the ravaged battlefield of space, dodging jagged pieces of destroyed ships, both friendly and foe alike. If there were survivors, she didn't know it. Her radio had been down for hours. No one was answering at the palace either. It was as if a plague of silence had overtaken her home world. She entered Jupiterian airspace and lightly touched her jet down and scrambled from the cockpit. The hangar was desolate.

The sound of her boots thumping against the pavement as she ran toward the palace thundered in her ears. She burst in through the mess hall doors. Abandoned meals abounded, but there was no one in sight. Lita ran from room to room, but not a single soul remained. It was as if everyone in the palace had fled in a panic. She raced up the winding staircases to the high tower hoping that she might see something from a higher vantage point. Lita burst into the turret room and scanned the room quickly. And there she was, her great and powerful mother, crumpled in a ball, weeping as she looked out the tower window. Lita ran to her. "Mother!" she exclaimed. "What is happening?" Zeusania didn't answer, but pointed. A new wave of sobs got caught in her throat and she sputtered and coughed. Lita was at a loss. Her mother needed her to be strong now. She placed a hand on Zeusania's shoulder and knelt down.

"It started several hours ago," she whispered. "After all the fighters left, our communications went down. We thought there was a high-frequency energy pulse elsewhere in the system that knocked all our comms out. Then they showed up."

"Who? Who showed up?"

"A freerider came up from the Storm Prison System and said it began there. Shadow warriors. Millions of them."

"What are shadow warriors?" Lita was afraid of the answer.

Zeusania trembled. "Faceless, formless. They kill everything in their path and are impervious to normal weaponry. We needed your Light."

Lita swallowed the lump in her throat.

"I—I'm sorry I wasn't here."

Zeusania didn't answer. Her eyes grew wide as she stared out the window. Lita turned and watched in horror as the air outside became black with shadow warriors. Zeusania grabbed Lita by the shoulders and shook her. "You must stop them!"

Lita looked up in the sky and shuddered. There were too many of them. She knew she would fail. Still, she reached into the depths of her soul and closed her eyes to summon the Light. Her body felt numb. There was no pain, no heat, no electricity.

"Jupiter!" she called.

Nothing happened.

"JUPITER!" she tried again. Nothing. "I—I don't know what's wrong!" She looked out the window helplessly and her mouth fell open as she watched her vast kingdom erupt in fire and ash.

Zeusania turned to face her young daughter and grabbed her by the arm. "Lita, you must leave here immediately! You must go to the Moon. Serenity will know what to do."

Lita wrenched herself free and replied: "Mother, I will not flee my home world like a coward! I will stay here and die with honor by your side!"

Zeusania took Lita by the shoulders. "Jupiter is gone, daughter. You must go to the Moon! That is where you make your last stand, defending the Princess!"

"But Mother—"

"I said GO!" Zeusania ordered.

….

When Darien returned to the party, he did not immediately seek out Serena. He knew she would read his face and know something was wrong. He looked up and noticed Queen Serenity was sitting at her chair, presiding over the party with a faint smile on her face and talking softly with Lord Artemis. Darien swallowed. He gathered up his strength and marched over to where the Queen sat and immediately took a knee.

"Prince Endymion!" Serenity remarked, clearly surprised to see him there. "What are you doing?"

"Something is wrong, Your Majesty," he said softly, looking around to make sure no one overheard.

"Well, what is it?" she asked, sounding mildly perturbed.

"Please come out into the hall with me," said Darien. He rose and extended his arm to the Queen and smiled stiffly at guests who looked in their direction. He cast his gaze out briefly over the crowd and saw Serena still arm-in-arm with Jaedite, looking distracted, but happy. Artemis followed them close behind.

When Darien had gotten Queen Serenity and Artemis out in the hall, he told them where he'd been and what he'd come across. The Queen looked stricken.

"Are you sure she is…dead?" she asked incredulously. Artemis had gone white as a sheet.

"Yes, Your Majesty," said Darien.

"And the Crystal…it was unstable?"

Darien nodded.

Serenity seemed to have aged ten years in ten seconds with this news. "That must have been what that crash was. It must have knocked out the communications." She turned to Artemis then. "We need to get our radios back up as soon as possible."

Artemis nodded grimly and started down the corridor, tapping the shoulder of a footman on the way. The footman followed Artemis and soon they were gone.

She gathered her dress in her arms and headed toward the guest bedroom. "I must see the Princess Mercury for myself," she said. Darien understood he was not supposed to follow.

Darien watched as they disappeared from sight and then he resolved to find Serena and put on a brave face for her. As Darien reached for the door leading into the ballroom, a loud crash came from outside and shook the palace. Darien almost lost his footing. Then there was another crash and this time, it took all the lights out with it. A third crash, and screams came from inside the ballroom.

"Serena!" he shouted as he threw himself against the door. It wouldn't budge.

….

Lita's heart was in her throat as she nervously tapped her fingers against the steering wheel of her aircraft, willing the machine to move faster. She maneuvered her way expertly through the asteroid belt dodging rocks and debris and was soon in the clear hurtling toward Martian airspace. Lita did a double take as she passed the planet, which burned a brilliant red.

"What the—" she murmured. _What's going on down there?_

She gripped the wheel so tightly her knuckles were white. If Mars was burning, she couldn't help but wonder what state she would find the Moon in.

….

Artemis stared at the silent communications panel. He dropped to his hands and knees and crawled under the main console. His technical background was rusty but he knew there was a fallback option in case of a massive power outage. He felt blindly at the controls and levers until he found the right one that would enable incoming messages in a primitive code comprised of toneless taps of varying length. He pulled the lever and crawled back out from under the console. Almost immediately, the distress calls came pouring in.

….

Serenity touched the forehead of the Princess Mercury. Her skin felt cool to the touch but her lips were still full and red and her cheeks retained their slight pink flush.

The door burst open and Artemis came barreling through, panting and out of breath.

"Artemis, what is it?" asked Serenity.

Artemis paused when he saw the body of the Princess of Mercury. He closed his eyes and clutched his chest over his heart.

"Majesty," he said, his eyes full of fear. He looked pale as a ghost and sweat poured from his brow. In his trembling hand he clutched a long scroll of parchment.

"What is it, Artemis?" the Queen whispered.

"Distress calls," he said. "We're just now getting them. They're hours old."

Serenity closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them again, she asked, "Distress calls from where?"

Artemis looked defeated. He turned his palms upward and shook his head. "From everywhere."


	38. Chapter 37: Confrontation

**CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN:** Confrontation

"I can't tell you what your years of devoted service has meant to the Prince," said Serena, trying once again to engage Lord Jaedite in conversation. Darien had just left her to figure out what was taking her court so long to arrive to the party and he insisted on leaving her with an escort. Serena never much liked Darien's advisors. So stuffy and businesslike. Lord Jaedite was no exception. His mind seemed to be elsewhere and he never quite looked Serena in the eye, which she found quite unnerving from a non-Martian.

"It is my duty," he said, looking just off to her right. Serena sighed. She hoped Darien would hurry up.

"Are you enjoying the party?" Serena tried.

"It is lovely," he said stiffly.

"How about a drink?" said Serena, waving over a roving server. Serena smiled gratefully and selected a champagne flute and offered it to Jaedite.

"I mustn't imbibe in front of the Prince," said Jaedite gruffly.

Serena sighed and sipped from the flute herself. "Of course," she replied. "So, are you enjoying—oh!" She was interrupted by a thunderous crash that startled Serena so much she dropped the champagne flute which smashed unceremoniously against the marble floor sending shards sailing this way and that. Serena was glad for Jaedite's grip for she surely would have stumbled. She looked around and helped a young countess who had fallen to the floor.

"Watch the glass," Serena warned. When Serena had righted herself, she saw that Jaedite's expression had noticeably darkened. "What was that?" she asked, not expecting an answer.

Then Jaedite's grip on her arm tightened. He turned to her then and for the first time looked her directly in the eyes. Serena felt stabbed by a sudden terror as she looked into his eyes, which seemed to burn with fury as he said: "It is the reckoning."

….

"You sent for me, Your Majesty?" said Luna, entering the guest bedroom as a footman held the door open for her. At first Luna did not see Princess Mercury for she was looking at Serenity's face. "Madam, what is wrong?" Serenity gestured toward the bed. Luna approached and all the color drained from her face.

"How…?"

Serenity shook her head. "She was in the Imperial Chamber."

"You don't mean…?"

"I cannot say."

"Does the Princess Serenity know?" Luna shook her head sadly and ran her hand along Princess Mercury's ice cold arm.

"No," said Serenity. "Not yet. We have bigger problems right now." Luna raised an eyebrow. "Distress calls have been pouring in from everywhere in the kingdom. We are under attack."

Luna's eyes grew. "Attack? By whom?"

"We don't know. Artemis is back in the communications hub. Princess Mercury did something in the Imperial Chamber, but what she did I don't know. Whatever it was caused the Crystal to become volatile. We think it knocked out communications. We're running on an old system. The messages are slow."

Just then, the door burst open. It was Artemis. His eyes were wide with shock, but he said nothing. He opened his palm and a piece of parchment sailed effortlessly to the floor next to his boot.

"Artemis, what's happened?" Luna asked, her voice catching in her throat.

"I've killed her," he whispered.

"What? Who?" said Luna. When Artemis didn't answer, Luna crossed the room and reached down and picked up the discarded note. As she read the words printed on the page, her eyes clouded over. "Gods, no," she cried. She could not stop the flood of tears that spilled over her eyes. "Mina!"

"It was my sin," Artemis murmured. "I delivered her into her fate."

"Artemis, no," said Luna, placing a hand on his sleeved forearm. "No one could have predicted this. It wasn't your fault."

He laughed bitterly. "Wasn't it?" He wrenched his arm free from Luna's grasp and walked over to the open window. He looked up into the darkening sky and squinted until he could make out Venus. What was usually brightest orb in the heavens seemed muted on this night, as if awash in the blood of their beautiful Princess. "I will make it up to her," he promised. "I swear it."

The door opened again and in rushed a footman frantically waving a small piece of paper in his hand.

"Lord Artemis!" he cried. In his panic, he did not even acknowledge Serenity.

Artemis didn't want to ask. He closed his eyes briefly and held his hand out. The footman, hands trembling, placed the paper onto Artemis's open palm. Artemis opened his eyes and looked at the boy. Sweat was dripping down his face and his eyes were full of fear. Artemis read the paper. He read it again. And a third time. He felt as though his stomach had fallen out of his body. His breathing became labored. After what seemed like ages, he closed his fist around the paper.

"Gods, what is it, Artemis?" said Serenity, searching his face for answers.

He couldn't meet her eye as he answered: "We're done for."

"Artemis, what is it!" said Luna, the panic rising in her voice.

Artemis spoke low: "Jupiter has fallen!"

Serenity looked as though she hadn't heard him. "What did you say, Artemis?"

"Jupiter has fallen," Artemis repeated. "A dark force has broken through their defenses. The Citadel Kingdom is no more."

Serenity blinked. "Princess Jupiter. Was she able to get out before the invasion?"

Artemis shook his head. "I don't know. We're still sorting through the messages. Majesty, we must ready an escape pod for you and the Princess."

Serenity clutched her heart. "Artemis, if it is true that Jupiter has fallen, where do you think we can go?" she said softly.

Artemis was trembling. "I—I—don't know, Majesty. But there is no hope for us here."

Serenity's face darkened. "Luna, find my daughter. Make sure she is safe. Artemis, radio Mars for help."

"And where are you going, Majesty?"

Serenity locked eyes with Artemis. "To the Imperial Chamber."

….

"The…the what?" Serena asked, blinking rapidly.

"A great reckoning," Jaedite repeated. "Your oppressive regime is coming to an end, Princess."

She instantly longed for the time when Jaedite refused to meet her eyes for now they burned through hers so intensely she had to look away. His grip around her arm tightened. "My Lord," she said softly. "That hurts."

Jaedite sneered. "You don't know what pain is. Not yet."

Serena tried to wrench her arm free, but Jaedite refused to let go. She looked around hoping to catch someone's eye for assistance, but the assembled party had gone eerily silent. Serena looked around frantically. That's when she noticed the woman who had entered the ballroom. Her skin was pale as snow and her eyes glowed red. Her lips were moving as though she were speaking but Serena could hear no sound. Everyone in the ballroom stared, utterly transfixed, at the woman. It was as if she were hypnotizing them with a silent incantation. Serena's heart began to slam against her chest as she realized she was the only one in the room who seemed to be impervious to the spell. Kunzite stood blocking the northeast exit and stared blankly at the woman. On either side of her blocking the southwest and southeast exits, Nephrite and Zoisite were enthralled.

"Let me go!" she shouted, twisting this way and that. But Jaedite's grip was firm. Serena kept struggling, but she was no match for his strength.

Another loud crash came from outside and the ballroom went dark.

A moment later, there was another crash, but this one seemed to stun the crowd awake. The front of the palace was instantly ripped away and Serena was hit with a gust of wind. Large pieces of stone from the crumbled southern wall of the palace flew into the room. Serena flinched, but she seemed to be encased in an invisible shield with Jaedite. The screams began in earnest as guests pushed and shoved and trampled one another to flee out of the front of the palace. Several were crushed by flying rocks. Serena looked to her left to find the young woman she had helped up before was now sprawled on the floor with a large gash in her forehead. A pool of blood crept away from her head. Serena couldn't look away. Suddenly, she felt herself being pulled through the melee. Jaedite was dragging her to the front. She looked for Kunzite, Nephrite, Zoisite, and the mysterious woman but they had disappeared.

….

The castle shook and Darien found himself sprawled in a heap on the floor with jagged pieces of rock tearing through the northern wall of the ballroom. One of the pieces was so large it tore a hole that Darien could crawl into. He made his way back into the ballroom and stared thunderstruck at the carnage that awaited him. Bodies everywhere, broken and bloody. He searched desperately for Serena.

"Darien!"

He looked up and saw Jaedite was pulling Serena out of the front of the ballroom. The southern wall had been ripped clear off the face of the palace. Darien darted and weaved to avoid the hurtling rocks and climbed his way over the dead and dying.

A hand reached out and grabbed a handful of Darien's cloak. "P—p-please help me," she begged. Darien looked down and immediately battled back a wave of nausea. A young courtier with half her face scraped off begged him to help her. Darien was torn.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered as he looked at her pleading eyes. "There's nothing I can do."

"Don't leave me, please!" she whimpered.

A scream coming from the front of the palace made up his mind for him. Darien flew toward Serena's cries. When he reached where the southern wall should have been, he was at the top of the palace steps.

"Welcome, Prince," said an eerily familiar voice. "You are just in time to bear witness to the end of the world."

…

When Serenity arrived at the Imperial Chamber, she was stunned to discover the door was ajar. She gently pushed the door open and gasped. The Crystal was spinning wildly in place and bursts of colored energy were shooting out of it and casting patterns across the wall. It was then that she noticed four peculiar sticks, each emblazoned with the symbol of another world and each laying on a corner of the pedestal. She did not have time to ponder them as several thundering crashes shook the foundation of the palace all around her. She reached out with both hands outstretched over the pedestal. As she got nearer, the Crystal began to slow down and instead of throwing out bursts of colored lights, each energy beam coalesced with the others until the Crystal was encased in a warm pink glow, the color of an Earth sunset. As her outstretched fingertips entered the hallowed space, the negative space around the Crystal began to take the shape of a golden scepter. At the top of the scepter grew a crescent moon which cradled the Crystal and waited for Serenity to claim it.

….

Darien's blood ran cold as he looked upon what his childhood friend had become. Gone were her innocent chestnut eyes which always had a gleam of sadness, but not a hint of malice, and in their place were two orbs of molten fury. Her once soft figure was now emaciated and gnarled and her twisted smile had not even the slightest resemblance to that of the girl he knew.

"Beryl," he said. "What have you done?"

She was standing suspended in the air at least twelve feet above Darien's head and about thirty feet away. "I have taken what is rightfully mine," she replied calmly in a terrifying double tone.

"Darien!" Serena called.

"Let her go, Jaedite!" Darien commanded. Obediently, Jaedite released Serena, who ran immediately to Darien. But he did not move to stand with his Prince. Instead, Jaedite ascended into the air and took his place next to Nephrite, who stood to Beryl's left. It was only then that Darien noticed his advisors were flanking Beryl on either side.

"Knights!" Darien exclaimed. "What are you doing?"

"They have a new allegiance now, Prince," said Beryl.

"Who is she, Darien?" Serena whispered from behind his hulking frame.

"It's her," Darien replied, drawing his sword. "The girl from the woods." Serena trembled. "Beryl!" Darien screamed, his grip tight on Serena's wrist. "This is not you! Some evil has warped your mind against me!"

Beryl didn't respond. She outstretched her claw-like hands and then drew them together. When she pulled them apart, a black bolt of lightning charged between them from palm to palm.

Darien's eyes widened in terror. "Beryl! Your fight is with me! Leave her out of this!"

Beryl said nothing, but a wicked smile played at her lips as she raised the energy bolt above her head and took aim. As the bolt came hurtling toward him, Darien pushed Serena away from him and took the full force of deadly charge.

Serena collapsed with Darien to the ground. Blood seeped from a gaping hole in his chest, which rose and fell as he gasped for his last breaths.

"Serena," he managed to choke out, his voice gurgling the blood being expelled violently from his lungs.

"Darien, please," Serena whispered, clutching his hand tight as he lay sprawled across her lap. "Please don't leave me!"

Darien coughed and sputtered. Flecks of dark red blood stained Serena's engagement dress.

"I'm—I'm sorry," he began. He winced in pain and squeezed Serena's hand. "I couldn't protect you."

Serena shook her head. "Darien, don't. Don't go. We haven't had enough time together yet!"

"I'll—I'll find," Darien began. He was interrupted by coughing, more violent this time. "I'll find—find a way…back to you. I promise."

Darien's face sparkled as the tears that now covered his face glinted off the brilliant moonlight of the terrain reflected off the shields of the shadow warriors now descending fast from the sky all around them. But Serena couldn't see them. She was shaking all over. She leaned in and gently brushed her lips across Darien's forehead. Then she felt his body grow slack in her arms. His jacket opened and a single red rose slipped out of the pocket and fell soundlessly to the ground.

"No," she whispered. "No, no, no, please, no!" Serena saw the light of her world going out in his eyes.

Serena couldn't bring herself to look away from Darien. His face was ashen, his cheeks hollow. Tears freely poured down her face and she made no attempt to stop them.

"Afraid to face me, child?" Beryl taunted.

Serena stood, the hem of her gossamer gown brushing lightly against Darien's body. She stared bravely into Beryl's eyes and replied: "You can take our lives, Beryl, but you will never take our love."

"Your lives will do for now," Beryl sneered. She raised her hands to attack again.

….

Lita hastily landed her craft on the surface of the Moon and scrambled from the cockpit. Her boots thudded against the dirt and a lump welled in her throat. Gone was the beautiful Moon palace and in its stead were fiery embers smoldering with the cries of the dying piercing the night. She was too late.

She could hear the shadow armies marching closer.

In the distance, she could see the Moon Princess standing in front of the Earth Prince, who was crumpled on the ground. He didn't move. Lita feared the worst. Serena appeared to be attempting to reason with a wild-eyed woman in a purple cloak who walked on air like some kind of sorceress from children's tales. _She must be the leader of the shadow army_, Lita thought. Lita's heart began to race as she realized what she had to do. She started to run.

….

Suddenly, Serena found herself on the ground, awkwardly sprawled across Darien's lifeless body. She turned her head back and there, in her place, writhing in agony, was the child princess Jupiter, who had pushed Serena out of the way of Beryl's black energy bolt. Serena's eyes widened in horror as the bolt obliterated Lita's body sending pieces of her flying in all directions.

Serena trembled, but her eyes were dry. She stood up and lifted her head to meet Beryl's eye.

"Something happened to you," Serena whispered.

Beryl narrowed her eyes. "What!"

"It must have been terrible for you," said Serena. "He said you had a difficult life."

"He spoke of me?" she demanded. "To you?" Her rage was electric and the ground shook beneath Serena's feet. The shadow demons had now descended upon the palace. Serena took a few timid steps closer.

"I don't know what happened to you to make you welcome the evil that lives within you, but I am so incredibly sorry!"

"You _dare_ pity me?" Beryl screeched, her fiery eyes burning with hatred. It was the final straw. She raised her arms and let out a powerful cry as she sent a blistering black bolt of energy straight for Serena. It pierced her body straight through her chest and sent her tumbling backward over Darien's body. She was gone.


	39. Chapter 38: Darkness

**CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT:** Darkness

Serenity had never known a silence it. The echo of her shoes tapping against the stone was almost deafening. She walked across the courtyard and barely registered the carnage. Her home had been utterly destroyed. People, her citizens, were here and there, crushed by debris, their faces wearing now permanent expressions of mixed horror and shock. Luna and Artemis lay with arms splayed across one another under a crushed colonnade.

Serenity had not yet found her daughter, but she had no hope that her darling Serena still breathed. The Crystal that Serenity clutched had encased her in a protective bubble as she made her way through the demolished palace and found herself at the top of the cracked and crumbling palace stairs. Mindlessly, she lifted her gown a few inches off the ground and descended the stairs in a daze mystified. How had this happened? How had her peaceful civilization ended in such devastation so quickly? Without so much as a warning?

At the foot of the palace stairs Serena lay, her tiny hand laying across the broken torso of her fallen prince. A smoldering hole in her chest had long since drained her small body of blood. Her face was white as stone and her lifeless eyes stared vacantly into space. Serenity knelt next to her daughter and gently traced the sides of her face. Her darling heart-shaped face. She was so full of life, full of love. Serenity's heart wrenched at the thought of the precious life cut short. All she had dreamed her daughter would do flashed before her eyes in a carefully choreographed pantomime of images. A vision of Serena accepting the throne and ruling with a firm yet gentle hand, her kingdom encased in crystal. Her king by her side. A smiling, doe-eyed daughter, who would continue their long and proud lineage, playing in the palace gardens. Her radiant court standing bravely behind her ruling adjacent kingdoms, sovereign in their own right, but joined in their common pursuit of peace and tranquility.

"My darling," she said softly, closing her eyes as a single diamond tear laced its way down her face. "Forgive me." A lump formed in her throat as she spoke. "I failed you. I failed to prepare you for the evil in the world." She cradled Serena's head in her lap as she spoke her confession. "I wanted to protect you. I didn't want you to know any of it. I wanted you to believe the world was a beautiful place. But I promise." She shut her eyes tight and pulled Serena close. "I won't let it end this way! You will be powerful. You will be the champion of your people."

Serenity gently set her daughter's head back down onto the stone. She balled her hands into fists and felt the hot ball of rage welling up through her body.

A devilish cackle echoed off the shattered ruins of her kingdom. Serenity stood and faced her enemy whose eyes were wild with triumph. She stood flanked by four dark knights, whom Serenity recognized as the ambassadors of the Earth Prince. All around them, her shadow demons marched, leaving a trail of devastation in their wake.

"This is but a small taste of what you deserve, Serenity. I would kill your daughter again and again and again and still your debt would never be repaid!" Beryl sneered.

"You laid waste to a peaceful civilization," said Serenity. "Do not pretend that this was anything other than grievous evil performed by a coward!"

"Look around you, Serenity. Your kingdom burns and still your arrogance prevents you from admitting any wrong. The blood of your people, the blood of your child, it's all on your hands."

"No," said Serenity, straining to keep the composure in her voice. "These are your sins. And by the Gods of the Moon Kingdom, you will answer for them."

"I will let you live with your torment, Serenity, as a slave in my shadow army!" She raised her hands to attack and hurled her black energy toward Serenity.

Clutching the wand and raising it high in the air, Serenity whispered the incantation no one in her lineage had uttered in generations: "Cosmic Moon Power!"

An incandescent ball of energy, the white light turned pink as it was infused with the powers all the fallen worlds under her reign, hurtled toward Beryl and her henchmen. Beryl was hit and immediately her henchmen crumbled into a black dust. Screams of agony echoed off the canyons as each shadow demon was struck with the energy. As her army crumbled around her, Beryl stared at Serenity with loathing.

"You think this ends here, Serenity?" Beryl hissed, as beams of pink light pierced her writhing body. Serenity held fast to the wand and remained focused as her energy flowed from her body through the Crystal and charged into Beryl. "I will take on an infinite number of forms and I will hunt her throughout the ages!" Beryl continued. "Your lineage will never be safe!"

Serenity narrowed her eyes. "Then you will see power far beyond anything you have ever witnessed," she growled, her voice full of venom. "You will _never_ rule in this universe!"

Serenity dropped to her knees, still clutching the wand in both hands. She bowed her head so that the crescent moon adorning her forehead lightly grazed the tip of the cool gold shaping the top of the wand. Tears pooled at the corners of her eyes as she spoke the prayer that she knew would end her life. "Gods of the Moon Kingdom," she whispered. "Dull her curse of death and let them sleep. Take my life so that they may live anew as a team united in common purpose. Give them greater strength than they knew in this world."

Beryl let out a shrill cry.

At this, Serenity stood and raised the wand high in the air. Her voice echoed off the shattered ruins of her once vast and glorious empire: "Cosmic Moon Power!"

And finally, as though a curtain fell cloaking the kingdom in shadow, all went dark.

**THE END**


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